


Once upon a dream

by Harleequinn13



Category: Twilight (Movies), Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Romance, Slow Burn, Teen Romance, Vampires, Werewolves, mentions of past anorexia, realistic love story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:49:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 104,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23780332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Harleequinn13/pseuds/Harleequinn13
Summary: Stephanie Meyer said she got the inspiration for her Twilight Saga from a dream. What if you could have that same dream? How would you react when faced with fictional vampires and werewolves? Somehow a girl from our world finds herself in the familiar pages of the famous novel with Edward Cullen giving her death glares, what's a girl to do? Will she change the story for the better, or will it all crash and burn
Relationships: Alice Cullen/Jasper Hale, Carlisle Cullen/Esme Cullen, Edward Cullen/Original Female Character(s), Emmett Cullen/Rosalie Hale, Jacob Black/Bella Swan
Comments: 67
Kudos: 177





	1. Chapter 1

This story begins in 2019 with a young woman. Morticia Rose Addams was your average twenty-year-old. She fit her namesake perfectly, right down to the love for all things dark and mysterious. Her mother would tell her that her name wasn't entirely chosen from the 60s television series but with her mother's obsession with Carolyn Jones, it wasn't hard to connect the dots. Morticia actually liked her name, it was unique and always made people second guess themselves when reading the roster at school.

Other than the strange name and dark demeanor, we were just like any other working college student. She worked part-time at the local mall while attending classes during the fall and spring semesters. When she wasn't working or attending classes she was at home spending time with her family or reading and listening to music....it was usually the later. She knew it drove her parents crazy but she never grew out of her headphone phase.

Just recently she decided to revisit the playlist from those Twilight movies that came out so long ago. It was true that the movies could register as cringe to most people but you had to admit, the soundtrack was poppin'. She often found herself scrolling through her Spotify and play that playlist very loudly through her speakers, which is how her mother found her.

"Honey, can you please turn that down? Dinner's ready by the way." Her mother called through the door. That's the thing about her family, they respected boundaries, thank god. 

To most people, it might be embarrassing to still be living at home while going to college but she wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Her parents trusted her enough to not enforce that many rules on her. 

She made her way downstairs to see her brother and parents had already gathered around the table. 

"There she is! Finally out of the bat cave I see!" Her dad hollered at her as she took a seat beside her younger brother, Damon. That was kind of an inside joke between her and her family. Morticia was so pale she could probably pass for a corpse on a good day and with her love for the macabre, her parents and Damon frequently decided to call her 'Miss Vampire or Elvira.' To most people that would piss them off but not her, Morticia had more of an edgy style that matched a vampy aesthetic perfectly.

"Yeah, dad, I had to recharge with some human food. It helps dull the cravings for blood." She said as she began spooning a serving of vegetables onto her plate. She knew her parents wouldn't get her TV reference but Damon laughed as he took the bowl from her and began serving himself.

"Oh, honey, you and your vampires. What would you do if you ever met one in real life?" Her mom teased as she took a sip of her wine. 

"I'd probably ask to be initiated into their coven then feast on Bambi in the forest." Morticia deadpanned as Damon snorted beside her. She could always trust her brother to laugh at her odd sense of humor.

"Wait, you wanna be one of those sparkly guys on TV?" Her dad asked, chewing slightly.

"Oh, totally. It's all the rage among the youths today. We all want a sparkly boy with poofed up hair and a permanent sense of self-loathing." Morticia replied, taking a drink of her soda, hoping her parents would pick up on her sarcasm. She liked the Twilight Saga just as much as any girl but if she had the option to choose The Vampire Diaries seemed to be the better species. At least then, she'd still be able to enjoy human food. Her comment seemed to end the vampire discussion for the night and after a brief discussion over if pineapple should or shouldn't be on pizza, she was ready for bed. 

As Moricia lay staring up at her ceiling, her mind began to wonder, 'What would it be like to get transported into one of those vampire dramas? The Vampire diaries were the superior vampires but the plotline was so boring to her, and Elena annoyed her. Stephanie Meyer at least knew how to write a good plot. Having a hot vampire want to suck you dry all the time, which really made for some sexual tension. She wasn't sure why her brain was going down that path, traveling through dimensions didn't exist and there was no way anything like that would ever happen to her of all people. 

She rolled over in her bed and noticed her well-read Twilight book on the nightstand. With a shake of her head, she turned off the lights and let her mind succumb to the darkness.

~~~ Dream~~~

She was in a field inside her dream. It reminded her of the beautiful fields she used to play in behind her grandmother's house.

'Morticia...Morticia.....It's time....good luck...' A voice was calling to her. She tried to turn to find the voice but her legs wouldn't comply. A figure emerged from behind the tree line, but she could just barely make out their features. Before she could call out to the figure, darkness crept over her again.

~~~~~End Dream~~~~

The first thing she noticed when she woke up was cold. She had gone to bed with at least two blankets the night before, so she rationalized that she must have kicked them off the night before. She went to move off the bed when she noticed her left wrist was caught on something. She finally opened her eyes and realized how bright her room was. Wait, no. This wasn't her room.

The room she was in currently resembled a hospital room, complete with the beeping machines and hideous wallpaper. "What the hell," She muttered to herself. Glancing down at her wrist again, she noticed that she was hooked up to an IV.

'That explains the cold' She thought to herself, glancing around the room, trying to find an escape route. First things first, she had to get this IV out of her hand... 

'This is gonna fucking suck.' She thought, taking a deep breath as she prepared to pull it out.

"Ah, finally awake I see." A musical voice halted her movements and then a pale hand was holding her arm and gently removing the needle from her skin.

Morticia followed the hand up until she was able to see the face of her rescuer.

'Holy shit.' She thought while looking at the adonis of a man in front of her. He was gorgeous with blonde hair, and beautiful pale skin. When he turned his head to meet her gaze, she noticed his eyes were a deep honey color. 

'This can't be real' She told herself. The man, or doctor, she guessed from his white lab coat, was unfazed by her reaction.

"Well well, Miss. Morticia, you gave us quite a scare. If you'll allow me to do a few diagnostic tests, I'll be out of your hair and you can return to your family. Your uncle and cousin were very worried when they brought you in." The doctor pulled a pen out of his pocket and it was then that she noticed the name stitched on the pocket... Cullen.

"Let me guess, are the contacts a choice or just an obligation?" She had to ask, hoping this guy was just a weird guy with a striking similarity to the famous doctor vampire.

Dr. Cullen looked at her strangely, "What do you mean? What contacts?"

She knew better than to argue with a true cosplayer, so she just waved it off and let him continue with what he was doing.

After he checked her vitals and called in the nurse to transcribe somethings on her chart, she was free to go. She was led into the waiting room where two men were sitting in chairs.

They both jumped up the second she entered the room.

"Tishia! Thank god you're ok!" The youngest man said, running up to her to give her a hug. He was probably around 13 to 14 years old and he reminded her a lot of Damon. Tall, Dark hair, dark eyes, and a more tan complexion that she was sure came from her dad's side. 

"Uhhh" She tried to respond, finding it difficult to come up with a response.

"Caleb, come on. Leave your cousin alone. She just experienced a trauma, she needs time to cope." The older man said, walking up to the group. He looked like an older version of Caleb, possibly in his late thirties to early forties, and a beard that was starting to grey.

" Awe, dad!" Caleb complained as he let her go and stood beside the man. She tried to connect the dots as to who this man could be but found nothing.

"Everything is all set, Tony. You're all free to go, no paperwork necessary." Doctor Cullen explained as he shook Tony's hand

"Thank you Doc, I really appreciate you saving Tish, here," Tony said, getting slightly choked up.

'Ok, who are these people and where the fuck am I?' She thought to herself as Dr. Cullen began to address her.

"It was no trouble at all, just be careful next time you decide to take a walk into the woods at night Miss Maddison, you never know what could happen."

She wondered if he knew she thought something was up, but replied, "Um, yeah...yeah I'll be careful."

After Dr. Cullen retreated back into the main hospital, Morticia was left alone with the two men that she assumed were her family.

"Come on Tish, dad said that he was gonna get your favorite for supper, Hawaiian pizza right?" Caleb asked excitedly, taking her hand and pulling her towards the exit doors.

'How the hell did they know that' She mused.

"Um, yeah. That's right." She murmured as he led her to a police cruiser parked in a clear no parking zone. 

Morticia turned and arched an eyebrow at 'Tony.' He seemed sheepish as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Hey, ya can't blame me. When I found you sprawled out on the ground like that I didn't even think to call an ambulance. I just hauled you over here myself...I wasn't too worried about the parking." He seemed embarrassed and she could guess that he was one of those men who hated showing too much emotion at one time. 

"It's fine, uh, uncle Tony. You were worried, that's understandable." She said as they got in the cruiser and began the drive. 

She knew it was crazy to go along with this. These guys could be dangerous, but something inside her was telling her to trust them. She felt a weird familial connection to these people. Maybe she might be able to get some answers if she played things up a bit.

"Um... uncle Tony, Dr. Cullen said that I may have some gaps in my memory because I hit my head at some point. I can't seem to remember the last few days, can you help me out?" She hoped he wouldn't look too closely at that my quick story.

"Oh uh, sure. Are you feeling any pain? We can get Dr.Cullen to take another look if you need to." He said, worried.

"No. He checked me out and said that it was just short term memory loss, nothing to worry about." She said quickly, really not wanting to go back there any time soon

"Well, it ain't a happy story Donna. Are you sure you don't want to wait and let the memories come back naturally?" He asked her, taking his eyes off the road for a moment to look at her in the passenger seat.

"Please, Uncle Tony, my anxiety is killing me. I have to know." She hoped he could see how important this was.

"Alright...It all started a few weeks ago. I got a call saying that your mom and dad were in a car accident. Some drunk driver ran a red light and hit them straight on. They didn't make it sweetie, I'm so sorry. A few days later, your parent's lawyer called me and said that I could get custody of you if I wanted to, which I immediately said yes. How could I turn down my favorite niece in a time of need?" He tried to make light of the obviously dark story.

"Why do I get the feeling that I'm your only niece?" She asked, knowingly. Uncle Tony laughed at her attempt to joke.

"Anyway, after the funeral and everything, Caleb and I packed up your stuff and moved you up here to Forks with us. We thought you were all settled until you started sleepwalking into the forest," he said, giving her another worried glance.

'Forks, as in Forks, Washington?' She thought, 'Since when do I sleepwalk?'

"You're actually set to start your junior year at Forks high on Monday, but if you're not feeling up for it, I completely understand." He said, turning the car down a street that looked oddly familiar to her. 

When the white and green tiny house came into view, Morticia was sure her mouth was hanging open. It was an exact replica of the Swan house, but instead of turning into that driveway, Tony turned into the house just before that one. 

'Thank god. That was almost too creepy' She sighed.

The house they sat in front of was much more her style. It was a victorian style with frosted windows, Dark gray paneling and a dark black roof. 

" Wow." She breathed, very impressed as she got out of the car and started to walk up the drive.

"You should see your bedroom," Caleb called out to her as he ran to catch up to her, "You painted that thing for days straight." 

That actually made sense for her. Painting and crafting were ways for her to hole up and shut out the world and relax her mind. 

"Actually I think we should all get to bed, I know it's early but I think we could use the sleep, and I'm sure that Tish is ready to get out of those nasty pajamas." Uncle Tony said as he got the front door unlocked. 

The inside of the house was just like the inside of a home and gardens catalog. There was a spiral staircase in the far side of the kitchen that led to the upper level, she assumed. Caleb raced towards the stairs, "Come on Tish, let me show you to your room! You even have your own bathroom so you can do all that girly stuff." 

It was official, Caleb was her favorite person in this entire delusion. She followed him up the stairs to the upper level which had a balcony that hung over the living room. Her room was the second door to the right, Caleb told her as she looked around slightly confused. 

When she opened the door, she knew without a doubt that she decorated this space herself. She didn't know if she did it consciously or not but it had her style print all over it.

The walls were a red burgundy color, but the wall her bed faced against was black. Her bed had a coffin-shaped headboard and there was a hanging black woven chair in the opposite corner. Her Vanity table beside the bed was a deep cherry wood that had been resanded she could tell. It needed a new varnish but that was a project for another time. there was a door on the opposite wall beside her bed and when she opened it she nearly fainted.

'I have a walk-in closet. Holy shit I have a walk-in closet, I never want to wake up from this dream' She thought as she began to inspect the clothes that were in the closet. It looked like her entire wardrobe from home had transported itself here. 

She walked back into her room and noticed a laptop sitting on her desk on the wall opposite the bed. She hurried to start it up and hoped she would use the same passwords she used back home, she didn't have to worry too much because this version of her had enough sense to write her passcodes on a post-it note beside the computer. The computer itself looked like a relic that her mother would've used before she was born. 

When she finally got the computer up and running, she nearly cried at the slow speed of the internet. 

'God, when was this thing last updated, 2006?' she thought to herself as she noticed the date icon on the desktop. It showed her that she hadn't been gone more than a day, that was a relief. Well, it was a relief until she clicked on the icon to bring up the full calendar. It said she had only been gone for a day but in 2005.....

"How the hell is that possible? It can't be, this must be a mistake. Tony must not be tech-savvy, yeah that's it. He must've got this computer at a rummage sale or something." She tried to convince herself. 

'Let me see if the twilight books are being published anywhere, they should be all over Forks by now.' She thought as she opened the archaic browser application.

When she searched for anything related to twilight and found nothing. She tried again with Stephanie Meyer and also came up with nothing. She even tried typing in the character names but nothing came of that either.

'So....I'm trapped in 2005 in a town that is the plot point of a massive teen romance novel...' Even thinking that made her sound crazy.

"How the hell am I going to get myself out of this one?" She said out loud. She didn't know if it was the excitement from the day or her impending doom but fatigue hit her full force. 

'Who knows, maybe I'll go to sleep and wake up back in my bed at home' She thought to herself as she relaxed into the blankets and let sleep take over once more. 

~~~~~~Dream~~~~~

"Morticia, you're here! Finally, the work can begin." There was not field this time, but just plain Forrest and that same disembodied voice reached her ears.

'work, what work?' She thought to herself. 

"Morticia...Wake up...Wake up!" That sounded like Caleb.

~~~~End Dream~~~~

Morticia woke up to a heavy mass jumping on her bed, "wake up Tish, dad's making your favorite!" 

As she came back to consciousness, she noticed Caleb's face above her, smiling brightly.

"God, Caleb. You could've chosen a better way to wake me up you know." She groaned, shoving him off the bed.

"Yeah, but that wouldn't be any fun!" He said running out the door, "Breakfast is in fifteen minutes by the way!" His voice rang up the stairs.

Morticia began her morning routine as usual. She chose a simple pair of black jeans and a striped black shirt with combat boots. Her makeup was minimal for her standards, just a simple winged eyeliner and mascara with black lipstick.

When she made her way into the kitchen, Tony looked up at her from his seat at the table. "There she is. You look much more like yourself this morning." He said, before spearing a piece of pancake on his fork.

'Damn they really got everything right didn't they' She thought to herself. Her mother always made her pancakes after a rough day, even if they weren't for breakfast. It made her heart warm to think of her family back home. Did they miss her? She hoped she wasn't dead but somehow in a coma or something. She'd hate to have that weight hanging over them.

"Come on Tish, we even decorated them as you like!" Caleb said from his seat beside Tony. "With the vampire fangs and everything!" 

She took her seat and glanced down at her own plate. Her pancakes had blackberries for eyes, whipped cream fangs and maple syrup for blood. 

'How ironic.' She groaned to herself. She really hoped she wouldn't encounter any real vampires in this town or wolves for that matter. It was already creepy enough just being in the town.

"They look great, thanks." She said as she dug into her plate. 

"So, I said yesterday, school starts tomorrow...Are you still up for it?" Tony asked her after a moment. 

The idea of attending high school all over again made her want to hurl, especially if she sad to worry about getting on the bad side of the resident vegetarian vamps of Forks. She knew she wasn't twenty years old anymore, even if she mentally felt that way, and being around hormonal teenagers was enough to make her want to pull her hair out.

"Yeah, I was gonna ask. Back home, I was doing some advanced courses and I wanted to see how they'd transfer in Forks. What year would that put me in?" She hoped he wouldn't think she was crazy but that was the easiest story she could come up with, and she did take Ap courses at her high school so it wasn't too much of a lie.

"Well since you're 17 you should be a junior but with those classes, you might be able to get out of some boring ones if Mrs. Cope will let ya." He said, thoughtfully as he finished off his pancakes.

'Ok, so I'm seventeen again, that's just great. '

"Hey, Uncle Tony, do I have to ride the bus to school? I just wanna know so I can look up the bus schedule for tomorrow." She really hoped she wouldn't have to take the bus but if that was the worst thing to come of this, she could handle that.

Tony cleared his throat, "Uh, actually I bought you a car off an old friend. It's nothing major but it'll last you until you finish school here and hopefully through college."

'Oh god, tell me I'm not getting that monster of a truck Bella Swan drives.' She shuddered mentally at the image. 

"Really? Who from?" She asked, pretending to be clueless.

"Uh its from the Uleys down on the Quileute Reservation. They decided to clear out their old garage and found the car in nearly new condition. I think Billy's boy said he was gonna drop it off today, he's been fixing it up for ya all summer." Tony said, putting his plate in the sink.

"Billy?" She asked, already fearing for the answer.

"Billy Black. His son Jacob is the one who did all the work on the car." Tony said before Caleb jumped in.

"Yeah, Jacob told me all about it! He's super stoked to get a chance to revamp the old cars down on the Rez. He told me he'd teach me about them if I'd be interested." 

It was hard to be so worried when Caleb was so carefree and happy, but hearing the name Jacob Black made her heart stop. She'd now met two characters from the Saga and was probably living next door to the would-be main character.

"Um, when did you say he'd be stopping by?" She asked, hoping it was a slip of the tongue.

"He said they'd be here sometime after breakfast, but I don't know. With those boys, breakfast could turn into a three-hour thing." Tony chuckled to himself.

'Oh if only that were true.' She thought grimly to herself.

After Her and Caleb's plates were finished, Morticia cleaned them by hand and put them up inside the cupboard. She knew she needed to mentally prepare herself to see Jacob and Billy Black.

She knew the wolves were dangerous and if she said anything to upset him, she didn't really want Jacob to transform inside her house. The image of Emily's scarred face popped inside her mind.

Just as she was getting ready to head upstairs, she heard the sound of a car pulling up the driveway. Taking a glance outside the kitchen window, she noticed that it was most definitely a truck, not a car.

Tony was the first to race to the door to greet them, "Hey old man how you doin?"

She heard a raspy deep voice reply back, "Old man? Who you callin' old man. You may be a cop but I can still kick your ass." 

Tony chuckled and moved back to allow the man to enter with his wheelchair. The man looked exactly as she imagined Billy Black to look. Long black hair that was slightly greying, deep copper skin tone, and a look on his face that made him seem as if he was much older than anybody would guess.

It only took a moment for his eyes to land on her. "This must be your niece, Morticia. Gosh, I haven't seen you since you were a baby. Do you remember when you and Jake used to play down at La Push?" 

For some odd reason, she did have a vague memory of a black-haired boy smiling at her while chasing her down the beach. 

"Uh, yeah, yeah I do. Those were good times." She told him politely, still keeping herself at a distance. 

"What he forgets to mention is how we used to stay out till dark and sometimes had the entire tribe out looking for us." A tall boy around Caleb's age walked through the door with some packages in his hands. He had long black hair and a blinding smile. 

"You must be Jacob."She murmured, as he set the packages on the counter.

"Uh, Jake actually. Here's your fish Tony. Hey, sorry to hear about what happened. If you need anything, the guys down at the Rez got your back, even if you are a pale face." He said teasingly. 

"Thanks, and uh, thanks for fixing up my car I guess? Tony told me you like to work on cars." She said, noticing that the adults had moved to the living room, probably to give them privacy. 

"Uh, yeah. We have it hooked up on the back of the truck outside. Dad thought It would be a good idea for me to give you a quick run-through before letting you loose on the roads tomorrow." He said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Hey, I'll have you know I am a fantastic driver. What about you, mister? You can't be older than 15, what do you know about driving." She accused, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I may be 15, but I've been driving on the rez for as long as I can remember. Since dad's accident, I've been pretty much doing all the running and stuff. Besides, I think chief Swan likes me." He said smirking.

"Uh, Jake, why don't you and Morticia go out and check out the car?" Billy offered, shooting Jake a pointed look when he thought Morticia wasn't looking.

"Uh, sure," Morticia said and followed Jake out the door and down the driveway.

"Look, I'm sorry if that was awkward. My dad's got this weird idea in his head that he needs to be my wingman or something, I'm sorry if that made you feel weird or anything." Jacob said as he fiddled with the cables on the car.

"I totally get it, and I'm not freaked, seriously. Your dad's just looking out for you is all." She said as he handed her the cables as he pulled them off.

"I don't know, ever since Rachel moved to Hawaii, it's been pretty boring just the two of us. I think he just wants me to get out of the house." Jacob joked as he finished pulling off the last cable. 

"Here, let me hop in the truck and move her out of the way, then we can move your car out."He told her, taking the cables from her and throwing them in the bed of the truck.

Once the truck was moved further down the street, Jacob ran back to her and handed her the keys.

"Let's take her for a spin." He said with a grin. When she finally got a good look at the car, she screamed in excitement.

"You've got to be shitting me! Is this real?" She turned towards Jacob to see him grinning from ear to ear.

"I was wondering when you'd notice it. Remember when we were kids and you said you always wanted the Addams family car? Well, someone down on the rez had the body of a black 1932 Packard twin six and I knew you had to have it." He said, laughing at her expression.

"How does it run? You had to rebuild the entire engine didn't you?" She asked, astonished. A 1932 Packard six twin was not a car you would see on the road in 2005 or even her time. The machinery alone to revamp one must have cost a fortune!

"Yeah, it took some time to find all the right parts and we had to put in a whole new engine, airbags and air conditioning/heating system but Tony's been working on this for a while. Well, him and your dad." He trailed off, sadly.

"Wait, my dad knew about this?" She asked, finally taking her eyes away from the beautiful car.

"Yeah, when dad told Tony the guy was gonna junk it, he immediately bought it off him and gave it to me to fix up. I knew he wanted to give it to you for your 16th birthday but some of the parts didn't arrive on time and we wanted you to be surprised.... so, surprise!" Jacob said with a laugh.

"Come on, take a look inside, we reupholstered all the interior too. She's still a stick shift, but Dad told me that if I can learn so can you." He urged her to the driver's side and ran to the passenger. 

The interior of the car was a deep burgundy material with leather detailing. It felt like something right out of the Munsters. She absolutely loved it, especially the little coffin-shaped fuzzy dice in the rearview mirror. 

"Yeah, those were Tony's idea." Jacob chuckled as he put on his seatbelt.

"Ok, so ready to have a crash course in driving stick?" He asked her, rubbing his hands together excitedly.

She just nodded and that was how the rest of her day went. She never thought she'd have so much fun learning about an old car but when Jake's eyes lit up as he discussed why she needed to shift gears a certain way, it reminded her of when Damon used to explain his video games to her. 

It was well after dark when she and Jake returned to the house. Billy and Tony were already there waiting for them, with knowing grins on their faces. Morticia could barely contain her excitement as she got out of her precious baby.

"So....you like?" Tony asked her.

"Do I like? This is my dream car, Uncle Tony, of course, I like it! I love! Thank you so much!" She sid, running to give him a hug. "I can't believe you did this for me." She murmured.

"Of course we did Tish, it was your dad's idea really. He wanted his little Batgirl to have her own Batmobile." Tony laughed at his own joke. 

"Ugh, now I can't wait for school tomorrow to show her off!" Morticia giggled, hugging Tony again before turning to Billy and Jacob.

"Thank you both so much!" She quickly gave Jacob a hug and shook Billy's hand, not really sure how well he would appreciate a hug from her yet.

"We're glad you like it. If you have any issues I'm sure Jacob will be able to help you!" Billy said, giving her hand a squeeze.

After Billy and Jake left, Caleb was practically bouncing with excitement. Tony told him that she would take him to school tomorrow so now all he could talk about was how he was going to get to ride in the 'batmobile' and make all his friends jealous.

"Calm down Caleb, or else you won't get any sleep." Morticia chucked as she started cleaning up the dishes from their dinner.

"But I can't help it! My cousin has the coolest car in the world!" If he smiled any bigger, she was worried that he might get it stuck that way.

Morticia just chuckled at his enthusiasm and said her goodnights before heading upstairs to go to bed.

She wondered what kind of outfit she should wear to make her first impression. Her car was already enough to make her stand out so why not go full circle? 

The outfit she settled on was a long-sleeved Wednesday Addams style collared black dress with lace tights and her platform mary janes. She decided to add a wide-brimmed black hat as well just in case it decided to rain and she didn't want to carry around an umbrella all day.

As she lay in bed, she thought about what tomorrow would bring. How was she going to survive meeting the Cullens? What if Edward was going to be able to read her mind? Would Alice be able to see her arrival? 

She knew she was going to have to play it cool for a while and lay low. The last thing she needed was to attract unnecessary attention from the vegetarian vamps. But that should be easy. All she had to do was wait until Bella Swan arrived in March and everything would fall into place. That wasn't too hard, right?


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Morticia's alarm woke her up at 6 o'clock on the dot. Groaning, she rolled over and squinted at the room around her. 

'I'm still here. Damn, I hoped it may have been a really weird dream.' She thought as she began to blush her blonde hair and get dressed. She decided t be more dramatic with her makeup. Using a dark grey and black shadow she defined the crease of her eye and put a shimmery white shade on her lid. To top it all off she added singed liner, lashes, and red lipstick.

Normally she wouldn't go for a red lip, but with all the dark colors, she thought it best to add a pop of color. Her makeup definitely copied angelica Houston's Morticia Addams but who cared?

She could already hear Caleb and Tony downstairs. Tony was sitting at the table, dressed up in his cop gear a Caleb was wearing a tee-shirt and light wash jeans, eating a bowl of cereal. 

"Morning everyone," She said as she made her way over to the coffee machine to make herself a cup. 

"Morning, Tish, sleep well?" Tony asked as she sat down at the table.

"Uh yeah, actually. I don't think I dreamed at all." She said, surprised. It had been the first night since she'd been here that she hadn't heard that weird voice in her dream. Maybe that was a sign that today was going to be a good day.

"That's good, it means you'll be well-rested for school. Hey, you need to eat something or else you won't make it to lunch. Oh by the way here's some lunch money." He handed her a ten-dollar bill, "If there's change just use it in the vending machines or save it. I know school food kinda sucks." 

She nodded her thanks and took the cereal from in front of Caleb and began making herself a bowl. Tony wasn't wrong, school food sucked when she was in high school, but that was before the government implemented all its changes so she was hopeful. It wasn't long before she and Caleb grabbed their backpacks and headed out to her car. She decided to grab a gray cardigan as it was very cold out for an August morning. 

"Hey, Morticia, do you care to pick up Caleb after school? With my new schedule, I'm gonna be working some long hours and I don't wanna make him wait." Tony asked as he walked over to his cruiser.

"Of course, I don't mind at all," Morticia assured him as she opened the driver's side door.

As she started up the beautiful car, she turned towards Caleb, "Alright, I hope you're great at giving directions because I have no idea where I'm taking you or myself."

"You're lucky the high school is like right next to the middle school," Caleb said laughing.

"Alright giggles, let's get outta here." She said and then they were off.

It wasn't more than a fifteen-minute drive to the schools so they had plenty of time. As they neared the parking lot, Morticia turned towards her cousin, "You want me to drop you off in front of the middle school, or do you want me to park at the high school and you just walk?" 

"You can just park at the High school. I know it's gonna be crazy to get a good spot." He said and he definitely wasn't wrong. With more than half an hour before the first bell, the parking lot was already packed. 

Morticia finally found a spot beside a dark van which she immediately knew was Tylers, which was surrounded by a group of teenagers. As soon as she killed the ignition all eyes were on her and her car, some were even still staring after she and Caleb got out.

"Nice ride Wednesday." A snotty girl standing next to the van said to her.

"It's Morticia actually, and thank you," Morticia replied with a sarcastic smile. She knew how to beat bitchy girls at their own game, and fucking win. 

She could hear the groups resounding 'oooohs' as she walked away with Caleb in tow. 

"You are so cool, have I ever told you that? The first day and you're already putting mean girls in their places." Caleb praised her as they neared the entrance to the High school. 

"Alright, guess this is it. I'll meet you back here at three ok?" She said and once he nodded, turned to head inside. 

The woman sitting at the front desk was a short and stout woman with striking white hair. "Can I help you, dear?" She asked as she finally noticed Morticia's presence. 

"Um, yeah. I'm new here. I'm Morticia Addams." She knew she didn't have to introduce herself, the entire town seemed to know her entire life story. The joys of living in small towns- no privacy. 

"oh, yes dear. Let me just get your schedule and map made up for you," She said with an air of sympathy. 

"Do you need someone to show you around campus? We have many student volunteers." She asked politely but Morticia shook her head and took the papers.

"No thank you, I'll manage."

"Alright dear, well you best be on your way, the first bell will be ringing soon." With that awkwardness over, Morticia was able to focus on another task- finding her first-period classroom.

As she was looking at her schedule in deep thought she didn't notice somebody coming up beside her. 

"Hey, you're Morticia Addams right?" She turned to see an Asian boy with shaggy black hair smiling at her.

"um, yeah, how'd ya guess?" She chuckled.

"You've been hot news for like the entire summer! Sweet name, by the way, it totally fits your vibe. Mine's Eric Yorkie. I'm a reporter for Forks High's newspaper." 

'Oh great, I can bet where this is going' She groaned.

"I thought you might need somebody to show you around and I need a new candidate for the front page." He said, slightly hopeful.

"Um, sure that would be great Eric, thanks." She wasn't going to blow him off like she knew Bella Swan would. It's nice to throw people a bone every once in a while.

"Ok great! Let me see your schedule." He said reaching for her paper.

"It looks like you have Art with Simmons, that's in building four, come on its this way." 

As they walked along the halls, Eric began asking her questions for the 'feature'. They were very basic like what she liked about Forks so far- she responded with the gloomy atmosphere. What was her favorite color- black, obviously? Her favorite hobby- she said painting or playing music. After a bit she became slightly annoyed so when he asked her what her favorite drink was, she said the blood of her enemies just to make him squirm. 

It was a godsend when they arrived at the classroom in building four. "Thanks, Eric, see you later." She called behind her, not bothering to wait for a response. The teacher, Mrs. Simmons, was kind enough to greet her right off the bat and not make her stand up to introduce herself. She sat her at a table in the back that was vacant, or at least she thought it was.

As soon as the bell rang, she felt someone sit in the empty seat beside her.

"Hello, you must be Morticia Addams." A voice as soft as a belle chimed to her left. Morticia turned her head and almost choked. The girl sitting beside her was almost a carbon copy of Ashley Greene, right down to the pixie-like features and honey-colored eyes. 

"Uh, Yeah that's me." She replied quietly, trying to compose herself. All the while she was worrying about what Alice saw, was that why she was sitting beside her?

"I'm Alice Cullen. I have to say, I just love your style! Especially you're hat, it's so cute!" Alice giggled and for a second Morticia really did think somebody chimed a bell.

"Oh, thank you. It's one of my staple accessories." She said, lightly touching the brim

"It really works for you!" Alice replied. She could tell Alice wanted to continue the conversation but Mrs. Simmons decided to begin with the lecture. 

At the end of class, when Morticia was gathering her things, Alice offered to walk her to her French class across campus. 

"Are you sure that won't make you late?" Morticia asked.

"Oh I'm super fast and Mr. Jones won't mind, he loves me," Alice replied, already walking a few paces in front of her.

Her French class was a piece of cake as well as the other classes she had before lunch. It was like an exact repeat of her own junior year of high school, which was both a blessing and a pain in the ass. 

Eventually, it was time for lunch, the worst part of the day for her. The part where she had to socialize with people. Not that she wasn't a people person, she just liked to keep to herself with maybe one or two friends. Entering the cafeteria was giving her flashbacks, the cliques all segregated at their specific tables that were clearly defined. She was tempted to turn around and say fuck it when Eric waved her over. 

"Hey, Morticia, Over here!" She made her way to the table on the far side of the cafeteria and dropped her bag in an empty chair.

"Um, I'm just gonna go get a tray, I'll be right back." She said, nodding her head in the direction. of the cafeteria line. 

'I'm also giving you bitches a chance to talk about me behind my back like I know you're going to.' She thought angrily as she made her way across the room.

Once she had her tray in her hands, it was pizza day so she couldn't complain, she made her way over to the table. 

"Quit it, Lauren, that's not nice." She could see a girl with black glasses scolding the snotty girl she told off this morning. 

Morticia sat her tray down and soon enough, the boys began to pounce. "So, Morticia, how'd you get a name like that?" The dark-skinned boy across from her asked. 

"Uh, my mom loved Carolyn Jones," She replied after taking a bite of pizza.

The boy seemed confused so the girl beside him filled him in, "She's the actress who played the original Morticia Addams, Tyler."

"Oh, that's cool! So, you into all that dark stuff then?" Tyler continued to interrogate her.

"Tyler! You can't just go around asking people that!" The girl beside him chastised him.

"It's just a joke, Jessica, geez!" Tyler said, throwing his hands up in the air.

Jessica huffed and turned away from him, "Don't mind him, he's an idiot." Jessica addressed her. 

Morticia had to hide her giggles behind her hand at Tyler's gobsmacked expression. 

"Yeah, Tyler, that's not a cool thing to ask somebody." the girl in the dark glasses chimed in, "just because her name is Morticia, you shouldn't base your views of her on a television character."

Morticia decided to jump in to save Tyler any more grief. "Actually, umm I'm sorry, what's your name?" 

"oh, Angela" the girl replied, sheepishly.

"Angela, I'd say my parents were pretty spot on when they named me. I'd say I'm very into the macabre."Morticia finished with a grin.

"Then she'll fit right in with those freaks, the Cullens" Lauren muttered. 

"The who?" Morticia asked, not acknowledging the intended insult.

"The Cullens, they just moved here last year from Alaska. They're Dr. Cullen's foster kids." Jessica replied enthusiastically as if she'd been waiting for the subject to come up. "It's super weird, they're all like together even though their foster siblings and Dr. Cullen and his wife are like super young too. My mom says Mrs. Cullen can't have kids so that's why they adopted so young."

Before Morticia could chew her out for the 'can't have kids comment' Jessica continued, "Look there they are." She pointed to the side entrance where five modelesque people were walking around the side of the building... and all of them had honey-colored eyes. 

"Ok the first couple, that's Rosalie Hale and Emmett Cullen. She's gorgeous but won't give anyone else the time of day and her beefcake boyfriend looks like he could kill you with his pinkie. Then there's Jasper Hale who looks like he's always in pain or something. He's Rosalie's twin and his girlfriend, Alice Cullen, she's super weird." Morticia sat up straighter when she heard the insult about Alice. "Then finally, the only single one in the group, Edward Cullen, totally hot but none of the girls here are good enough for him so don't waste your time," Jessica said with a twinge of malice in her voice

"Ohh, I see what happened," Morticia replied, knowingly. "So how many times did he reject you?" she asked bluntly. The entire table went silent and Jessica turned red.

"Ex-excuse me?" She stammered.

Morticia just rolled her eyes, "Obviously you asked him out and he turned you down, which isn't surprising how you've been bad-mouthing his family to me almost the entire lunch period. Why would he want to go out with some who has nothing better to do than gossip about shit she has no business talking about. Have you ever tried to fucking talk to one of them? Probably not because if you did you would know that Alice is super sweet and not 'weird'. Also, that's a very bitch comment to say about their mother. If she can't have kids then I applaud her even more for raising foster children because she made the decision to become a mother and it didn't just happen by accident. Maybe next time, you should think before you speak, Jessica. You may never know who's listening." 

Jessica looked shell-shocked and couldn't form a response, Angela looked impressed, and Lauren looked murderous. 

'Score one for bitchy Morticia.' She high fived her self.

Deciding she had enough of the teenager drama she gathered her things and went to throw away her trash. She shot a glance at the Cullen's table to find them all staring at her in shock. Alice gave her a beaming smile and waved at her. Morticia returned the wave and her eyes roamed until the landed on the dark amber pools of one Edward Cullen. He looked like he was trying to solve the world's hardest math problem but was having no success. 

'huh, guess he can't read my mind. That's good.' She said to herself when an idea hit her. I wonder if Alice's gift works on her. 

She envisioned herself standing up on a table and shouting, "The Cullens are vampires," But that seemed to spark no response from Alice.

'maybe I need to plan it out more.' She thought to herself.

She decided that before the lunch bell rang in five minutes she was going to steal a scalpel from the biology classroom, run into the cafeteria and slit her wrist in front of the Cullen's table while screaming, "Free Buffet," at the top of her lungs. Maybe that was her ticket home. 

Just as she was reaching for the door that led to the science hallway, she saw Alice's eyes go glassy, and then her expression became panicked. All vampires turned towards her with fear in their eyes.

"Holy shit it is real," She murmured to herself before she bolted down the hallway, making a beeline for the gymnasium and then hopefully the parking lot. It wasn't her best idea, but having five angry veggie vamps chasing you wasn't the best idea either. 

She almost made it through the Gymnasium exit when a force pushed her flat on her ass. When she glanced up she could see Edward, eyes black and snarling madly. She quickly glanced around and saw Emmet and Jasper arrive.

"Emmett quick, grab him before he does something that could expose all of you! Hurry!" The panic in her voice must have shocked Emmett because he quickly grabbed Edward in an airtight grip.

"Jasper, please use your manipulation to calm him down so I can explain." I pleaded as Rosalie and Alice arrived.

"You've got to be kidding me." Rosalie groaned noticing Edward struggling in her husband's arms.

"Look, I know what Alice's vision showed but I'm not here to expose you all. I just had to get your attention somehow and Alice's visions were the only way." Morticia explained.

"Well that's one hell of a way to get our attention," Jasper commented. 

"I wouldn't risk your anger if it wasn't monumental," Morticia promised, solemnly.

"Alright, then what was so important you had to scare us like that huh?" Rosalie said, angrily. 

"I'll explain everything, but not here. There are too many ears that could overhear." She said as she noticed Edward still struggling in his brother's arms.

"Enough, Edward!" She chided him.

"I WANT HER!" He growled, trying to lung at her again, only for Emmett to squeeze him tighter. She could swear she heard something crack.

"Think of Carlisle and Esme, do you really want to make them move again because you relapsed and drained your 'La Tua Cantante?' Huh? Do you? Think how disappointed they would be in you and Rosalie would never let you hear the end of it." She ranted at him.

Her rant seemed to shock him back to reality slightly. "How do you know about singers?" He growled.

"I said I'll explain later. For now, here, take this." She said, tossing him the cardigan, "it'll help with my smell."

Once the cardigan was in reach it was nearly torn to shreds at the strength with which he grabbed it.

"Alright, look, we can't discuss this here, so... what if I follow you to your house and I'll explain everything there, you can even call Carlisle and Esme. If anybody asks why I missed the rest of school we can have Carlisle write me a note saying I had another episode from my slight head injury from a few days ago. But, I'm gonna need someone to pick up my cousin from class. I promised Tony I'd pick him up and I can't leave him like that." She pleaded.

The Cullens seemed to think about it, all except Edward who looked like he was trying to inhale her cardigan through his nose. Talk about attractive, ladies. 

"I say we trust her," Alice said, giving Morticia a blinding smile. Rosalie just groaned beside her before sighing, "Fine, let's jeopardize ourselves for one stupid human."

She tried not to take Rosalie's offense to heart because she knew under that hard exterior was a very gentle yet fierce woman who would do anything to protect her family.

As they made their way out into the parking lot I thought occurred to Morticia. She knew there was no way that they can all ride in the same car together, her cardigan was practically in shreds by now and she knew her sent in that close of a Space Would Dr., Edward mad.

"I have a better idea. You guys keep hold of Edward. Jasper needs to make sure he stays calm. I'll follow behind in my car, it makes more sense than just leaving my car in the parking lot. Somebody would assume that I've been kidnapped." She said pensively yet secretly worried they'd not let her out of their sight.

Judging by their facial expressions that were exactly what was going through their mind. "Do you really think I'm gonna run? How stupid do you think I am? Me against five vampires? You have to be joking. Even I have more self-preservation than that." 

"Well, you did just give Alice a vision of you slitting your wrist in front of us so we don't have really much to go on," Rosalie said with a sneer. 

"How else was I supposed to see if this was actually real? Would you rather I've gone up to you and been like 'hey drink blood or not?'." She asked sarcastically, cocking a hand on her hip.

"Look we could have this game of 20 questions and risk getting seen by lots of little teenagers or we could handle this rationally and quietly, your choice," Morticia said, slightly annoyed at the mistrust of the vampires.

"Rose come on let's give her a chance. If I thought she was a threat I would've seen it. She just made a decision to get our attention that's all." Alice pleaded, grabbing Rosalie's arm

Rosalie finally relented her stare and turned on her heel, practically stomping out of the gymnasium. What is she had to give her points for making stomping look like a runway walk

As they made their way to their respective cars, Morticia could feel their eyes on her as she unlocked her car, and she took a chance and glanced back at them. Edward looked at her with eyes brimming with hunger and Emmett had to grab him again and shove him into the silver Volvo.

The ride to the Cullen household was creepy, even to her. The trees created a type of atmosphere that sent chills up her spine, and not in a good way. The house itself was beautiful, Catherine Hardwicke chose the house in the movies perfectly. It looked like something you'd find in an expensive neighborhood, not secluded in the woods.

Once she parked her car beside the Volvo, Morticia noticed two figures already standing at the entrance to the home, waiting to greet her. A young woman with dark hair and the warmest golden eyes she's ever seen stood by Carlisle's side.

'That must be Esme, Carlisle's wife.' She thought, stepping out of the vehicle as the boys were dragging Edward away in the opposite direction.

Alice suddenly appeared at her side and shocked her out of her confusion. "The boys thought it'd be a good idea to get Edward to hunt before letting him around you again."

"Oh, that's very thoughtful, thank you," Morticia replied as Alice took her by the arm and led her up the front stairs. 

"You must be Morticia, welcome. I'm Esme." Mrs. Cullen extended her pale hand and Morticia took it gratefully, not shivering at her cold hands. 

"Hello, I'm sorry we had to meet under such odd circumstances." Morticia chuckled, before turning to lock eyes with Dr. Cullen.

"I thought once I discharged you from the hospital, you wouldn't be so keen to see me again," Carlisle said with a small smile. 

"Well, I'm afraid I'm not here for your medical opinion or for a pleasant visit. It's worse." At his confused look she continued. "I'll explain everything once the boys come back, but you have to promise you'll hear me out before deciding my fate." 

Carlisle and Esme shared a concerned look and ushered her inside the home and into the living room. They all made polite conversation and after some time she noticed Carlisle's back straighten just slightly. She guessed he could sense the boys were returning from their little impromptu hunting trip.

The boys entered the livingroom, Emmett being the loudest as he threw himself on the couch, asking "So what did we miss?" Jasper just quietly took a seat next to Alice and immediately turned his gaze on the final person to enter the room. 

Edward entered the room so timidly, almost as if he were expecting her to jump up and scream, "MONSTER" before bolting. He calmly took a seat at the piano in the far corner, but before she could begin her long speech, she heard his quiet, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry, for what? You couldn't have known I was going to be your singer. I bet Alice didn't even see it coming." She shot a glance at the pixie, who just shook her head.

"You guys rely entirely too much on Alice's gift if you can't accept that you're bound to make a few mistakes here and there." She finished, crossing her arms over her chest. Emmett laughed loudly, gathering everyone's attention.

When he saw all the odd looks he was getting he replied, "What? He just apologized for trying to eat her and she doesn't blame him? Who does that?"

His statement of the obvious seemed to lessen the tension in the room, just a tad. Either it was that or Jasper's gift, take your pick.

"Well, I think you'll find Emmett that I am very much not like the other girls or anyone else you've encountered yet." She began, before pausing to gather her thoughts. 

She stood and began to pace in front of the large glass window opposite the piano. She could feel their eyes on her as she began her crazy story.

"Let me first begin by saying, please leave all questions until the end of the presentation, please and thank you. As you probably guessed...I know you're all vampires. There I said the V-word." She heard Emmett wheeze out a laugh and Rosalie slapped his shoulder, scowling at her.

"You guys are Veggie vamps. You don't drink human blood, instead, you guys choose to drink animal blood. Carlisle, You are the leader of the coven. I'm not exactly sure when you were turned- the dates get kind of fuzzy for me- but your father was a "monster hunter" in England at the time and I guess he pissed somebody off because of the next thing anybody else knew his son went missing. However, you weren't missing or dead, you were transitioning. You roamed the earth so long after that, many times you tried to kill yourself because you couldn't stand the lonely ness of eternity. Even though you viewed yourself as a monster, you were able to contain your thirst for days, finally caving when you came across poor Bambi." The look on Carlisle's face was one of bewilderment and shock, he grasped Esme's hand tighter as she continued.

"I wonder, have you ever actually killed anyone? Your children/sires don't count as you were saving them, not actually ending their lives but their suffering. I can tell Edward and Rosalie will disagree so let's just continue, shall we? You wandered the world, gaining vast medical knowledge until you came upon a dying woman in a Chicago hospital in the year 1918. Her name was Elizabeth Masen and as she lay dying she asked you to save her son, which you did. 

You turned Edward as his mother's last dying wish and when he awoke, you both found out an amazing thing. Edward was a telepath. He could recite every thought of yours word for word. You both became very close friends but once again you longed to complete your family and you got your chance when you noticed a corpse at the morgue had a faint heartbeat. Esme was a fighter, she always has been no matter how you view your death, Mrs. Cullen.

So, Carlisle turned Esme Platt or Evenson if you prefer. After many years of solitude, Carlisle had finally found his mate, and secretly he wanted his son Edward to feel the same way. Opportunity struck when he found a woman on her deathbed lying in the streets of Rochester in NY. Rosalie was even more beautiful in death than in life, and even more deadly. Just ask Royce King. Nice work with him by the way, not drinking a single drop of his blood was very well played. Although Carlisle gained a daughter, Edward did not gain a lover. He and Rosalie just never hit it off, but that seemed meant to be because years later Rosalie would find her own mate. 

A man had been mauled by a bear and he scent of his blood drew her to the site, she only had to take one look at his face before she knew she had to get him to Carlisle to save him. He reminded her so much of her long lost friend's baby, Henry, she just couldn't bear to let him go. That brings our dear Emmett into the Cullen clan. 

But what of our dear Alice and Jasper? Well, let's just say I would never play battleship with our dear Major Jasper Whitlock. He was a major in the Texas cavalry in the 19th c. when suddenly a beautiful woman appeared and offered him the chance of a lifetime. He was turned and Maria noticed he had a special gift. Jasper could feel and manipulate the feelings of those around him, and Maria used this to her advantage and had him training newborns in her army. Luckily Jasper regained his senses and left that hell hole, and came upon a little diner in the 40s or 50s. Inside was a lovely little woman named Alice. She had been waiting for him ever since she saw him in one of her visions. She knew they were meant to be together and to be apart of the Cullen family. Alice, there's not much known about your back story but I know enough and it isn't that pretty. I was very vague with Rosalie's as well but do you wish for me to say it out loud?"

Alice was stunned but nodded for her to continue.

"You were born, Mary Alice Brandon, I'm not sure when exactly but it was apparent after you were born that you weren't like other children. You could see visions, images of things before they happened...It was because of this that your parents put you in a psychiatric hospital for the mentally insane."

Alice looked as if her eyes had glossed over and Jasper but a comforting hand on her knee.

"While you were there, a worker took a liking to you but what you didn't know was that someone else did too. A vampire named James. He's a nomad who liked to hunt his prey. You were his most amazing game to date. With you inside the asylum it was nearly impossible for him to get to you, but one night he did. Thankfully the worker, also a vampire, was able to fight off James and get you somewhere safe to turn. I'm not sure who that man was but he left shortly after you turned. I'd assume your memory loss can be attributed to shock therapy from the institution..." Morticia ended her long story with a heavy sigh.

At the horrified looks she received from all people present she decided to drop yet another bomb. "You all are probably wondering how the hell I know this. Easy, I read it in a book. Your lives were all written about by a woman named Stephanie Meyer who said the idea came to her in a dream. Well, it looks like I'm in the same fucking dream because you all look exactly the same as you described. Where I come from, you are all fictional characters in a book. It's called twilight and it revolves around a girl named Bella who is Eddie boy's soulmate and his singer. I guess you just got fucking lucky in the singer department." She directed that last comment at the man at the piano who instantly perked up at her comment.

"Wait, Bella? As in the chief's daughter?" Emmett chimed from the couch as Rosalie huffed,

"You can't seriously be buying her story, can you? Us, fictional characters? She's probably some creepy stalker!" Rosalie exclaimed, throwing a glare at Morticia.

"I can see how you could think that but look at my perspective, 1. You're all sparkly vampires with a tragic backstory. 2. Edward, a super moody teenage vampire is destined to fall in love with the one thing he can't have, and 3. did I mention the Wolves yet? What about that doesn't scream bodice ripper to you guys." Morticia said, raising her eyebrow as she paced the length of the window again.

"You know what Rosalie, if you're so worried about the Volturi, please take your best shot. If you kill me then maybe I can go back to my time and get back to my life as a normal 20-year-old college student who was just trying to fucking survive, ok? I didn't ask to be put in some fucking Romance novel and be little Eddie's dream snack. I'm sure he'd appreciate it if you took away his temptation so go ahead, hit me, I've got absolutely nothing to lose." She said approaching the couch with open arms. 

Rosalie stared at her as if wondering if she was being serious or not.

"If you're worried about the wolves you can always make it look like an accident, maybe drown my body in the ocean or stage a car accident, whatever you think works best." She continued, completely serious. Rosalie opened her mouth to retort but no sound came out.

"Enough, We are not going to hurt you." Carlisle began gently. "Although you have given us much to think about. If what you're saying is true, all of us are fictional characters in some saga? That's why you asked me about my eyes. The contacts"

Morticia nodded, thankful for Carlisle's calm inquisition.

"Yeah, in my time, people love to dress up as you guys for Halloween and events. Look, I know this is a lot to take in but I promise you, I am not going to tell anyone your secret just like you wouldn't tell anyone mine. Please don't send me away to the loony bin, I hate hospitals and I'd look terrible in white." She added the last part to get some pity laughs but the entire room was pretty dry.

"You said Bella was Edward's singer, what happens to their story? Why haven't I seen it?" Alice asked, slightly frustrated.

"Your visions are subjective to decisions, Bella probably hasn't decided to come live with Charlie yet. Also, Bella doesn't arrive until March so that should give Eddie plenty of time to work on his stamina, so to speak. As for their story its pretty simple. Boy meets girl. The girl tries to find out the boy's dark secret and ends up falling in love with him. Oh and Eddie can't read her mind, hence the brooding. Then another boy, let's call him Wolfe, comes in and tries to take the girl for himself when boy number one fucks up royally by being a masochist with a stick up his ass. Then boy number one apologizes and proposes to girl and she declines because she thinks marriage is a trap doomed to fail. Eventually, he barters her mortality for her hand in marriage, they get married and Wolfe gets pissed. While on the honeymoon it turns out that Eddie boy has a few swimmers that still work and oops now girl got knocked up. They rush home to Doc. because 'oh shit vampire mutant baby!' The baby grows and grows until it has a traumatic birth and then Wolfe imprints on the baby while the girl transitions into a vampire on the table. Then there's an almost battle with the Volturi because Aro is a dick who wants to control everyone but its cool because some vampires meet their mates and the Wolves come together to help you guys fight. Yay, happy ending. Wow, I just summarized an entire movie series in under five minutes." Morticia mentally high fived herself, while Edward looked like he was going to be sick.

"holy....shit. Edward, why wouldn't you wear a condom?" Emmett hollered, causing everybody to erupt into giggles. The man in question couldn't even fathom a response, he just sat there shocked.

"Yeah, Edward, didn't you pay attention in sex ed? Wrap it before you tap it, duh." Morticia said condescendingly.

Carlisle seemed to be the most excited about this new information and began a rapid-fire line of questions. "How long was the pregnancy? What was the impact of the fetus's growth on Bella? How did she survive post-delivery? Did she grow at a normal pace?" 

Morticia just held up her hands and shook her head, "I have no idea, that scene grossed me out to watch and read about. It was horrible and I really hope it doesn't come to fruition again."

It seemed as though everyone was letting the information sink in, taking their time to process everything she had told them when Edward suddenly decided to voice his questions.

"Why can't I hear you? You said Bella was my singer, so is that something singers are able to do, be immune to the vampire's gifts?" He asked lowly, his hand scrunched into a fist on the piano.

"I have no idea, you couldn't read Bella's mind because she was a shield. That was her talent as a vampire. You probably can't read me because I'm a glitch in the system or something. Jasper, can you feel me? I know Alice could see me?" She asked the couple on the couch.

"I can't get anything from you," Jasper replied perplexed. "I thought maybe it was just overshadowed by other people but now that I'm concentrating, I feel nothing." 

Morticia hmm'd and chewed on the side of her fingernail, a nervous habit from her youth. 

"Well, I don't know what to tell ya. I majored in Biomedical science but I don't think that covers Vampire abilities and their effects with singers." She said as she took a seat in the chair that wasn't occupied in the far corner of the room. The entire conversation was taking a toll on her.

Esme seemed to notice her exhaustion, "Morticia, dear, when was the last time you had anything to eat?" 

Morticia searched her brain to remember, "Uh, I had a few bites of pizza at lunch but I'm fine, really" her stomach disagreed because, at that moment, it released a very audible growl that caused Esme to smile.

"How about I fix you something quick huh? I haven't got to use the kitchen since we renovated the house!" Esme seemed so excited that it made Morticia feel even worse if she declined.

"Um, ok." She murmured and with a flash, the woman was gone and back with a plate of freshly cut fruits in her hand.

"Oh, wow, thanks. When you said quickly you meant it." Morticia murmured, gently taking the plate from her.

Esme smiled and went bask to her place by Carlisle. Taking a bite of an apple slice, Morticia said, "I think I covered everything I need to cover. So, end of presentation prompts personal questions so who wants to go first?" 

Esme gently asked her, "You mentioned your life before this, what was it like?"

Morticia just shrugged, "It wasn't anything glamorous, I'm from 2019. Sorry, I probably should've started with that. I was living at home with my parents while I finished my undergrad. I was planning to pursue a career with something in a lab analysis field. I hadn't decided yet." 

Carlisle pressed on, "2019? What was it like?" 

Morticia mentally groaned, knowing she would be stuck here all day if they went down this path. "Just know it is heavily based on technology and social media. That's all I'm saying. I've probably said too much as is." 

Carlisle seemed to accept her answer and the next to ask a question was Esme. 

Ever the mother figure she asked, "How are you adjusting dear."

Morticia laughed, "I want to rip my hair out if I'm being honest. I come from a time where everybody has a cell phone in hand and is constantly checking Instagram. I may be going through withdrawals actually, now that I think about it. Not to mention the most important thing! I was brought here before my 21st birthday!! I really could've used one hell of a drink if I knew I'd be here right now." She ended with a groan, throwing her head back.

"Come on, we can't be that bad! You get to hang out with a bunch of vampires!" Emmett commented, winking at her. 

Morticia scoffed, "I'm sorry but you guys are not vampires. You're sparkly corpses with an affinity for animal blood. Dracula...Nosferatu...Bartemus Collins... hell even Vampire diaries produced more realistic ones than you guys. Sorry, I'm not on team sparkle." 

Emmett looked at her offended and threw a hand over his heart, " How dare you insult us? We are plenty realistic! We're big, scary, nasty, vampires."He pouted.

"Sure, maybe to a grizzly or a mountain lion, but not to me big guy." Morticia giggled at how Emmett seemed to sulk further into the couch at her comments. 

The occupants quieted down and this time Morticia decided to ask her own question,

"So, what are you going to do with me? Are we good, or do I have to keep worrying that I'm gonna have some nighttime visitors with not so nice intentions?" Morticia asked, praying that they decided in her favor.

Carlisle took a glance around the room, they all seemed to have an unheard conversation, and eventually, he turned to address her. 

"I think it's safe to say that you won't have any issues from us, Morticia. We really appreciate you coming to us to tell your story. I hope to see more of you in the future." She could hear the underlying intentions of his voice.

"I'm not becoming a lab rat, Dr.Fang so you can forget it....oh wait, you guys don't even have fangs. Guess that's another thing you guys are lacking." She said pointedly at Emmett who just stuck his tongue out, very mature dude. 

Carlisle just chuckled, "I meant to say that I hope to see more of you in the future as you are pleasant company. It can't be easy going back to High School after being out for almost three years. As you know we matriculate so we can relate to you on some level."

Morticia was appreciative, however, Edward's glares from the side of the room told her differently.

'What the hell is his problem?' She thought to herself angrily. She just basically told him he was going to meet the love of his life in like 6 months and he looks like she just killed his dog or some shit. 

"Besides, with you coming around a lot it will help Edward get used to being around his singer, so he won't kill Bella! It's a win-win." Alice chirped happily, practically bouncing in her seat. Her statement made Edward's face pinch and he stormed out of the room or rather flashed out.

"I don't know if that's the best idea, pixie. Judging from his response, I don't think we're going to get along very well." Morticia said with an air of sass.

'Well fuck him if he doesn't want my help. Maybe he'll learn his lesson when he rips his little love's throat out in Biology!' She thought furiously.

"Oh, ignore him. He's such a fun sucker! I may not be able to see anything yet, but I'm positive that we're going to be best friends." Alice said, turning to Rosalie with a glare.

'Ah, she must've mumbled something under her breath.'

"I guess this could work....besides if he kills me you guys get let off the hook and maybe the guilt will put his control into overdrive for Bella. What the hell, let's do it." She barely finished her sentence before Alice was shrieking in her ear as she wrapped her up in a very tight hug.

Alice was pulled away by an amused Jasper, "Let her breathe, Alice," he said chuckling at his wife's antics

"I can't help it! She knows so much about us, it's so nice not to have to hide!" Alice replied cheerfully.

Seeing Alice so happy made Morticia feel much happier about agreeing to be Mr. Grouchy's sobriety sponsor.

"Hey Carlisle, while everybody is high on the serotonin, I gotta ask you something?" Morticia asked in a very serious voice, although her eyes were shining with mischief.

"Yes?" He prompted her.

"Well, I noticed that Jasper has bits of his southern accent...but where is your English accent?! You were raised in England!!" Morticia said in a scandalized voice.

Carlisle seemed pleasantly surprised at her worry, "I moved around so much, I guess I just lost it along the way... why?"

Morticia put her hand against her forehead in a fake faint, "Woe is me! I'll never get to hear the dulcet tones of Carlisle Cullen call me darling or curse in a posh accent. I feel cheated! If Stephanie really wanted those brownie points she would've kept the accent in there!"

Carlisle looked as if he would be blushing if he could and Esme was rolling with laughter.

"Um-um, well I" He stuttered but Morticia cut him off.

"No, don't try to fix it now. I've moved on and you've missed your chance to gain sexy points with me. You just have to remain a 10/10 now." She tisked her tongue and shook her head which sent the rest of the family into more fits of laughter at Carlisle's expense.

She could've stayed longer, laughing and having fun with them, but she knew she needed to return in case Tony or Caleb were worried.

She said her goodbyes to everyone except Edward, who refused to come down from his room. Esme gave her a hug on the way out and whispered in her ear, "give him time, he'll come around. It's a lot to take in." Morticia gave her a subtle nod and a smile before turning and walking to her car.

The drive home was much easier after she got the weight of the story off her shoulders. She felt like she was walking on a fucking cloud. When she made it home, Tony met her with a worried look on his face and she didn't even make it out of the car before facing his questions.

"The school called and said you had an episode? What happened? Where have you been?"

"Chill. It was nothing major. I was feeling some pretty intense headaches and Alice- Dr. Cullen's daughter- offered to take me to see their dad. Carlisle gave me a checkup and said it was probably just the stress of my first day, nothing to worry about." She assured him quickly and he visibly deflated.

"Thank god. I'm sorry Tish, it's just...I worry." Tony said sheepishly. Morticia understood that he loved her as both a niece and a daughter, so her safety made him think irrationally.

"Uncle Tony, I'm fine. It was just a fluke. I'm sorry I didn't call, I just didn't want to worry you." Morticia said quietly, hoping he bought the story.

He quickly grabbed her up in a hug, giving her a tight squeeze before letting go. 

"Never hesitate to call me ok. I know you're all independent now, but just keep me updated, ok?" He said, shaking her shoulder lightly. "Now come on, let's eat some grub and get you to bed." They both quickly made their way into the house, where Caleb was already sitting at the table doing some kind of worksheet.

"Hey do you care if I just skip dinner, Mrs. Cullen gave me some fruit while I was there and I am so full. I really just wanna go upstairs and get to bed early." Morticia said, already feeling the adrenaline from the day leaving.

"Uh, yeah. See you in the morning." Tony said as he was getting a plate ready for himself.

"Alright, I'll see you guys in the morning!" Morticia called over her shoulder as she all but ran up the stairs. 

When she finally closed the door to her bedroom, she let the exhaustion hit her full force.

'What a long ass day' She groaned as she slowly drug herself over to the bed, not even bothering to undress, just tugging her combat boots off and tossing them to the floor. 

She didn't even think to check the window locks, it wouldn't have done her any good anyways. The second her head hit the pillow she was out like a light.


	3. Chapter 3

Morticia pov: 

The next morning brought what Morticia hoped to be a much less exciting day. At least now the vampires were aware that she knew their secret so she didn't have to walk on eggshells anymore. She just hoped that her presence here wasn't going to cause a massive disruption in Stephanie Meyer's universe. 

As she traipsed downstairs in her black jeans and combat boots, per yesterday's usual she was the last one to get to the breakfast table. 

"Wow, the last one again. Geez, do you guys synchronize that stuff?" She said sarcastically as she grabbed a cup of coffee, before grabbing the newspaper off the table. 

'I need to be on the lookout for any animal attacks, so I can warn the Cullens.' She thought to herself, glancing over the obituaries of the day.

Tony chuckled, "Well some of us go to bed at a respectable time. Not all of us love staying up well into the night like you Tish."

Morticia scoffed, "I do my best thinking at night, and besides I can sleep when I'm dead."

Tony just rolled his eyes at her before he snapped his fingers at a thought.

"Oh, Billy wanted me to remind you that next month the boys on the rez are building a bonfire. He knew it was close to your birthday so he wanted me to invite you." He said, smiling at her.

'Oh fuck. Going to a wolf infested area after I've been spending so much time with vampires. Sounds like a suicide mission to me.' She mentally groaned 

"Uh, that sounds like fun but I don't know, Tony. Schoolwork will be picking up by then so I'll have to see... Besides, I wouldn't want to blind them with my pale face" She said with a slight laugh to her voice.

Tony just scoffed and waved his hand, "Whatever, just lettin' ya know if you ever give yourself a break."

Morticia just nodded before she grabbed her backpack and gestured for Caleb to get ready to leave.

The drive to school was much faster this time around and she quickly pulled into a space beside a familiar-looking Volvo. 

"Hey, I've gotta talk to some people, think you can make it to your building on your own?" Morticia teased as Caleb just rolled his eyes at her before moving to exit the car. 

"I'll see ya later," Caleb called over his shoulder, hurriedly making his way to the building in the distance.

Morticia just shook her head as she moved to open the driver's side door.

"I see you are just as sarcastic at home as you are in public." A melodic voice resonated above her.

She turned her head up to glare at the auburn-haired boy leaning on the side of her car. 

"Yeah, maybe she's born with it or maybe she's just a massive bitch. You ever think of that, sparkles?" She said with an attitude as she brushed past him. He quickly turned to press closely behind her.

"I didn't mean to offend you. It's just....difficult." He gritted out lowly.

"Yeah, I get being around me is super difficult for you right now. That's the whole point of the little partnership." She said, gesturing between the two of them.

"No, it's not that." He told her and as she was going to ask him to elaborate Alice suddenly materialized beside her.

"Hey, Morticia. You're sitting with us today at lunch right?" Her tone told Morticia that she was only asking to be polite.

"Wow, you really want me to make a spectacle, don't you Tinkerbell? Sure, What the hell, right?" Morticia replied before turning and making her way to her first class. 

Edward Pov:

He could sense Alice's scowl before she growled, "Do you have to be such an asshole? Is it so hard to say a simple, 'Hi, how are you today?"

He growled low so only she would hear, "You have no idea how much restraint I have to use just to be in her presence, that combined with not being able to hear her makes me even more anxious, Alice."

Alice scoffed as she rolled her eyes, "Her future isn't completely clear to me but you don't see me trying to mouth off at her every chance I get. You didn't even say goodbye to her yesterday! What happened to chivalry, huh?" She said before flouncing away to join Jasper by the entrance doors.

He didn't know why he had such a disdain for the woman, Morticia. She set him off in a way no one else did and made his most primal instincts surge up at any moment. 

At his line of thoughts, he felt Jasper's calm influence pass over him, and nodding his thanks hurried to catch up with the rest of his family before anything else happened.

Morticia Pov:

The beginning of the school day was long and dull, having already taken these courses, she opted to just sit there and doodle in her notebook. It was the third period of the day before she realized that the features she had begun to draw were the ones of a very familiar sparkly asshole.

'I can't go there.' She thought to herself, moving to rip out the page but stopped herself. It was one of her better pieces and it was only a sketch. 

'I'll keep it for the sentiment and nothing more.' She told herself as she moved to put the drawing in her bag once the bell rang.

As she made her way to the cafeteria, she felt a slight twinge of fear when Alice popped her head out of another classroom.

'God she has to quit doing that.' She thought to herself as the pixie practically floated over towards her.

"I'm so glad I caught you. I thought we could walk to lunch together, Jasper had another class across campus so I told him not to wait up." She said, not waiting for Morticia's response before taking her by the arm and basically dragging her to the lunchroom.

You could've heard a pin drop in the silence that followed their entrance into the cafeteria. Everybody was turned towards the entrance with varying looks of awe and disbelief.

"Uh.. can we go sit down please, this is super uncomfortable." Morticia groaned, trying to steer them to the far corner of the room where her siblings sat.

"Don't you want to get any food?" Alice asked her, tilting her head slightly.

"Not really, I had a big breakfast." She lied as they quickly made their way to the table.

Before she even sat down, she could feel Rosalie's irritation and addressed it very quickly.

"How many times do I have to say it for it to sink in Rosalie? I'm not here to infringe upon your family! I only agreed to this because the girls I sat with yesterday are all massive bitches, except Angela, she's sweet and the boys are just masses of hormones waiting to screw whatever they come across. So if you please, can we be civil?" She said, exasperated, causing Emmett and Jasper to nearly fall out of their chairs with laughter. Even Rosalie looked slightly impressed as she nodded.

"Great." Morticia sighed as she took the only open seat next to Mr. broods-a-lot himself. She was quite shocked when, instead of sneering at her direction, he gave her a slight smile and a "hello"

Pulling herself out of her shocked stupor, she quickly replied, "hey." The others at the table were watching the interaction with varying amounts of interest. 

Edward shifted slightly towards her before replying, "I know I've been rude lately, and I want to apologize. I shouldn't take it out on you. That isn't fair." 

Morticia, quick to cover up her shock, replied, "Wow, that's some nice character development we've got going on here. I like it. Sure, I accept your apology and I'll give you brownie points for coming clean so soon because we both know Alice was the entire reason you're apologizing. She totally ripped your ass."

If the other boys had been human, Morticia was sure she'd have put them into muscle spasms by now. Edward's brow furrowed before he replied, "I'm not used to socializing with humans."

"Humans or females because I'm not sure you're comfortable around either, to be honest. Are you sure there isn't more character growth to be had?" Morticia said teasingly and when she noticed the outrage coming to his face she quickly continued, "I'm kidding. Lighten up, it's what humans do. They joke with their friends."

"But I don't think we should be friends. Or you shouldn't be friends with us." Edward said adamantly in that 'I know everything tone.'

"Wow, Stephanie really pegged you as the perfect masochist huh? Listen up bub, only I get to decide who I'm friends with. If you don't wanna be associated with me that's fine, but remember when your little Bella shows up in a few months and you can't hold yourself back from draining her all because you didn't know how to make a damn friend who smelled quite appetizing." She said irritated and secretly she wished she could get up and storm off but she knew that wouldn't solve anything.

"I'm not a-" He began before she cut him off.

"Look, you are what you are and nothing's going to change that. Bella Swan may be into the whole possessive angle you play up but I'm not. You can take your possessive bullshit and shove it up your ass, sparkles. I didn't ask to be here, probably fucking up the timeline, but I am so I think it would all benefit us to just suck it up and sing kumbaya alright?" Morticia huffed as she leaned back into her seat not giving Edward a second glance.

"Wow, uh. That was intense." Emmett commented from his seat by Rosalie.

"I think she's right. Somebody had to say it and knock him off his high horse." Rosalie replied and gave Morticia what she thought were the beginnings of a smile. 

'Holy shit, did I just unfreeze ice bitch's heart?' She wondered. 'Damn.'

"Look I'm not trying to bust your balls or anything, I'm actually trying to help you. Things will go a hell of a lot smoother with you and Bella if you just listen to me." Morticia relented, finally turning her gaze back to the man in question.

"You're 109 years old but physically you're still 17. It's ok to act like a teenager every once in a while and have fun, remember that." She continued, giving him a soft look, hoping she didn't take too many shots at his ego.

"Speaking of fun..." Alice trailed off suggestively.

'Oh, shit. Here we go. Vampire barbie found a new project.' She shuddered to think of the outfits Alice would pick.

"I think we should have a slumber party!" Alice squealed happily

'Well...That wasn't what I expected.' Morticia thought to herself as Alice continued rambling off the plans. 

"I know the last time you were at the house, the topic of conversation was a little on the heavy side. But, now since you've explained everything we can just focus on getting to know each other!" 

'a veggie vamp sleepover with a human guest. That sounds like an SNL skit to me.' Morticia fantasized as Alice glanced at her expectantly.

"I don't know why you're looking at me for an answer! You're the psychic so you already know what I'm going to say." Morticia said grumpily as she relaxed a tad into her chair.

"Yeah, but you're all fuzzy! And besides, it's polite to ask!" Alice all but pouted at her.

"Ok, easy, I'll do it. But, you have to promise no late-night snacking from anybody...even if I am irresistible I'd rather not go out by being some veggie vamp's fall off the wagon." She chuckled as Jasper sent her what she thought was a worried look.

'Poor Major. I'll have to touch base with him about his gift soon. To be feeling everyone's emotions must be hell on his self-restraint.' She told herself as the rest of the lunch period droned on.

"Alright, now don't forget, the slumber party is at 6 pm on Friday. Oh, and don't worry about having to convince Tony to let you go. Esme has that taken care of." Alice told her as they were walking out into the parking lot later that day.

Morticia turned to Alice with a confused look, "Esme? Why is she calling Tony?"

"Because she is hoping to get Tony to let you hang around us more and she thought he would feel more comfortable knowing a mother figure would be watching you, especially in a house full of boys. It's sweet, how much he worries. Besides, who can resist Esme's charm?" Alice chuckled as Morticia opened the driver's side door to her car. 

"I guess you're right, although, Carlisle could have her beat if he used his sexy English accent." Morticia threw a wink over her shoulder before climbing inside the cab.

"You're going to end up giving Carlisle a complex, you know that right?" Alice called to her, shaking her head slightly.

Rolling down the window, Morticia replied, "Oh, I'm planning on it. I have to cause some chaos while I'm here don't I? It's part of the Addams charm." With that said, Morticia began the quick drive home, but not before glancing behind her as she left the parking lot to see the Cullen's laughing and smiling faces.

She didn't know that Friday would bring or any day after that, but one thing was certain. The Cullens were already a large part of her life here and she didn't see them letting her go anytime soon.

Later that night, while she was settling in for the night, Morticia felt a sudden chill as if someone was watching her, or at least was attempting to. With a groan, she marched over to her window and called out softly, "Just get in here and quit being a creepy stalker, Edward," Before making her way to her desk chair.

'No need to try and recreate any bedroom scenes.' She told herself with a shudder.

She felt a gust of wind blow past her face and then suddenly the man himself was there, scowling as usual.

"How did you?..." He trailed off as she held up a hand.

"You made a habit of stalking Bella in her sleep in the books. Might I make a suggestion- That's fucking creepy so don't do that." Morticia said condescendingly as she leaned back in the chair.

"Also, please refrain from peeping in my window at night, Eddie boy. I could sleep naked for all you know and I'd hate to ruin your virtue at such a young age." Her snark didn't appease his scowl nor his next response.

"I can't seem to figure you out. One second I think I'm on to something and the next...It's all very frustrating." He growled out.

"Honey, If women were easy to read, many a relationship may be salvaged, however, keeping some mystery keeps you men on your toes. Believe me, If I told you everything that went on in my head, it would turn your pretty pale ears pink." She said lowly before changing her tone slightly, "Besides, I'm already helping you get your little lover girl, however dull she may be in the books, so why are you so worried about me?" 

Edward's scowl seemed to deepen as if that were possible. "You really should keep your distance from us. If the Volturi ever found out-."

Morticia cut him off, "The Volturi will never know anything is amiss. I'm going to help you avoid getting into any trouble that would lead them to pursue your coven. That means you need to take your self-righteousness and shove it up your ass, ok? The only reason they would have to come here would be because I know your secret, however, I also know other secrets that make me valuable to Aro and I really don't want to pique his creepy interest any time soon." 

Edward looked stunned for a moment, "So, you plan to play house with a bunch of vampires, what exactly do you get out of it?" His stare unnerved her a tiny bit and she looked away before responding.

"Look, I know this may be hard to believe, but the family I had in 2019 is lost to me. I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to return. So, if playing house with a bunch of veggie vamps with severe self-deprecating issues just to get my mind off my grief...I think I'll take that option over being alone here." She finished quietly and Edward shifted slightly.

"Your family...What were they like?" He asked hesitantly.

Morticia smiled and shook her head, "I'm not sure if we're close enough for that just yet. I mean, it has only been a few days, wasn't there some waiting period in 1918 that you had to finish before asking a lady personal questions?" She quipped with a smile. 

To her surprise, Edward actually chuckled, "Yes, actually there was an entire plethora of rules to follow, but I think since you already know so much about me, there's really no reason to stand on ceremony."

Still shocked that he had played into her little jab, shaking her head with a smile, she replied. "Well, I guess you're right. I do seem to know all about you and turn about is fair play. How about a trade? A question for a question?" 

Edward seemed to consider this and she motioned for him to take a seat in her other chair.

"Alright, my turn. What's your favorite color and why?"

"Technically that was two questions, but I'll allow it. What happened to you asking about my family?" She inquired, raising an eyebrow. 

He gave her that wickedly crooked smile. She now understood why Bella turned to mush when he did it, it was quite dazzling, to be honest.

"I've decided that you're right. There are rules to the game and you can't pull out the big questions on the first few rounds so I'm biding my time." He practically purred his response.

'Well, his demeanor certainly has changed quite a bit. Not that I'm complaining. Grumpy Edward was terribly annoying.' She thought.

"Black of course, although I often find myself gravitating towards Red as an accent color. Black because it's such a happy color and red because it makes me think of all the scandalous connotations associated with the color," She replied, teasing. "Now it's my turn. Edward, What is your favorite season of the year, and why?"

Edward looked puzzled at her answer but chuckled as he replied, "I'd have to say winter since it's the only time that we can move around outside quite frequently. It gets kind of annoying being stuck inside with a bunch of mated vampires 24/7."

Morticia was shocked at his playful description but laughed anyway.

"I'd assume so. Winter is very lovely. While others view it as a time for death and decay, I view it as a time for dark beauty. I love it when it snows, the chill in the air, and curling up beside a fireplay with a good book is even better with the dark ambiance of a winter's night." She said dreamily, thinking back to a long time ago when her mother would read them stories by the fire and make fresh hot cocoa. 

"Am I correct to assume that Winter is your favorite season as well?" He replied coyly, arching a brow. 

"I'm taking that as a question and no. Fall or Autumn is actually my favorite. It's prime time to walk the graveyards and take lovely pictures, especially at night. It gives me chills just thinking about it. The smell of decaying leaves, the pumpkin patches, the haunted houses being erected, oh, and the horror movies! October is an all-out fright-fest for me!" Morticia giggled, "But I'm sure you could probably tell that just from my name or how I dress though, right?"

Edward shook his head, "Actually, you are very different from what anybody would expect. Believe me, I would know." He looked at her very intensely and she felt a blush rise to her cheeks. Quickly she went to change the subject.

"Well, in any case. I think it's time for us to put a hold on this mini interrogation and the human in the room needs to get some sleep. We can worry about the Bella situation at another time. We have plenty of time before she's supposed to arrive anyway." She said with a wave of her hand as she went to stand from her desk. 

Oh, how she would come to regret that statement...

Edward followed suit and moved to the window. 

"Oh, and Edward, please don't make a habit of squatting beneath my window every night... I wasn't kidding about the sleeping naked thing." Morticia called out to him softly, and then with a wink, she hurried to her bathroom to have what Bella would call, a 'human moment'. 

When she returned, Edward was gone but in his place, was left a brown and yellow leaf that had most likely been from the tree in her yard.

'Maybe I'm finally chipping away at that cold exterior he puts up...' She wondered to herself as she turned out the lights and settled against her pillow. 

'Maybe one day I can get him to open up a tiny bit...' Her thoughts trailed off as she drifted off into sleep. 

~~~~~~~Dream~~~~~~

"Soon.......Soon Morticia. Things will happen sooner than you think." That forgotten disembodied voice called out to her inside her dream.

The setting was the forest just outside the forests. To her right, Morticia heard the leaves rustle and branches crunch.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" There was no response but a shadow ran in her line of sight. 

"Hey, wait!" She called as she gave chase to the shadow.

The landscape began to blur as she chased the figure, eventually catching up and grabbing ti by the arm. 

The figure was a woman, pale and thin with long brown hair and brown eyes.

"Oh, Hello! Do you know where I am?" The woman asked her, innocently.

"No, but who are you?" Morticia replied... she almost looked like.

"I'm Bella... Bella Swan."

'Oh Fuck.' was the only thought Morticia could conceive as she stared at Bella in shock......

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did Morticia's dream mean? Who is that disembodied voice?


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning brought Morticia much turmoil. What had that dream last night meant? She never saw any people in her previous dreams so why see someone now? And why Bella Swan? Why was she seeing her at all? 

She was pondering this as she began to make herself a cup of coffee when Tony stomped down the stairs in full uniform. He was shocked to see her up and in the kitchen so early.

"Hey, kiddo. You're up early." He said as he went to grab a cup for himself.

"Uh, yeah. I couldn't sleep last night." She muttered to herself as she leaned against the countertop, gazing outside the window.

Tony chuckled, "I'll bet. You were probably so excited about this weekend and all the trouble you and little Alice Cullen will get into."

'Oh, that's right. The slumber party.' She thought to herself as she took a sip from her cup.

"Uh, yeah. Alice is really excited to play Barbie, I guess." She muttered quietly, unsure about how to continue the conversation. 

It was still so weird to have Tony as a father figure. In her reality, she didn't have an uncle named Tony but rather an aunt named Linda on her mom's side who she barely spoke to because she lived so far away. 

But, for some reason, Tony seemed to have the same mannerisms as her dad back home did. Her father always used the same coffee mug and always sat at the end of the table with his back to the wall just like Tony. Come to think of it, he even scrunched up his nose when he was confused too. 

Speaking of facial expressions, currently, Tony's expression could resemble a cartoon lightbulb moment.

"Oh, I just remembered! Chief Swan told me yesterday that his daughter is moving in with him! Isn't that great?" He said cheerfully. 

Morticia quickly put on an excited persona, "That's awesome! I bet Chief Swan is so happy!" 

'Everything is going according to plan then,' She thought to herself happily. 

"But that's not the best part! She's moving in at the beginning of September, right before homecoming, Isn't that great? Who knows, maybe you guys will be best friends just like you used to when you were little."

Outside Morticia was smart to keep her smile and cheerful demeanor but on the inside, she was freaking the fuck out. 

'WHAT? She's moving in this soon? Edward just got slightly used to my delicious smelling ass and now he's gonna have another singer's scent shoved down his throat. Oh, this is so not good. I need to call Alice, ASAP.' As soon as the thought entered her head, the landline began to ring on the wall beside her. 

'Man, I almost forgot about these things.' She chuckled as she grabbed the receiver. 

As soon as the phone reached her ear, Alice's cheerful voice greeted her.

"Don't worry about it. I told Edward about the change in plans and we'll discuss a game plan on Friday." 

Morticia sighed, "Thanks Alice, you're a lifesaver, literally. Yeah, let's discuss it Friday."

Alice giggled then replied, "just a heads up, you don't need to drive to school today."

Morticia furrowed her brow in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"Take a look out your window in 3....2....now." At that moment a horn honked just outside the kitchen window. 

Morticia turned to see a very familiar Volvo, with its even more familiar driver leaning against it. 

Shaking her head, Morticia said into the phone, "Alice, why is your brother standing in my driveway?"

The man in question, who most definitely heard her, waved at her smartly. 

"He said something about a game of yours not being over or something. Word of advice, I'd just go with it because if last night's pacing said anything, he's wound up more than a drum." Alice's voice chirped.

Morticia just giggled as she saw Edward's smile turn into a sour frown.

"I'll see you at school soon, Alice," Morticia said, hanging up the phone once she saw Edward making his way towards the front door. 

'What the hell is he doing? Tony's here?!' She frantically thought as the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" She cried as she practically ran to the door.

As soon as she saw his smug face she growled, "What the fuck are you doing here?"

He just grinned widely before replying, "Why, I'm giving you a ride to school. As Alice said, our game wasn't finished, remember?"

Morticia was too flustered to give him proper response so she just settled for giving him a dumbstruck look.

Tony must have been curious as to who was at the door because he called from the kitchen, "Who's at the door, Tisha?" 

She knew there was no way that she could quietly slip this past him. 'Damn cop instincts and I'm a shitty liar,' She said to herself as she opened the door wider. 

"It's Edward Cullen. He decided to stop by to give me a ride to school because we have a project we're supposed to start next week and he wanted to get a head start on it." She hoped that was s good enough story as Edward glided past her into the foyer of the house and met Tony as he walked through the opening to the kitchen.

Edward and Tony shook hands after a very long staring contest. To Morticia, it looked like one of those scenes on the discovery channel where two alpha males were sizing each other up.

"Cullen, huh. You Doctor Cullen's boy?" Tony immediately had the intimidating dad's voice going on.

'Sweet Jesus, this is either going to be hilarious or go very wrong, very quickly.' She thought as she took in the sight in front of her.

Edward nodded, "Yes, sir. Carlisle is my father."

Tony seemed to size Edward up as he spoke, "I thought all his boys were seniors this year? How did you end up paired with Morticia? She's just a junior, you know?"

'Gee, thanks Tony, way to make a girl feel special.' She thought glumly.

Edward, having sensed her ire, quickly jumped to her defense- much to Morticia's surprise.

"Actually, Morticia is in many advanced classes and I'd wager that she could surpass even the smartest in the senior class. I'm actually a junior myself, it's my brothers, Emmett and Jasper who are the seniors." He gave a quick wink to Morticia as she looked dumbfounded once again.

"Oh, well. That's alright then. You kids have fun, and drive safe." Tony visibly seemed to relax after Edward's admission.

'If only he knew he was 109 and not 17, wonder how this conversation would go then?' She thought with a slight bite in her tone.

"Ok! As much as this testosterone fest is fun to watch, Edward and I need to get going, or else we will be late. Tell Caleb I'm sorry I forgot to tell him I couldn't take him to school!" Morticia finally cut in, annoyed at their blatant disregard of her.

"It was nice to meet you, Deputy Addams," Edward called out cordially as Morticia all but dragged him out of the front door.

She could feel Edward's grin as she stomped her way to his passenger side door.

"You have no idea the trouble you just cause me." She growled at him over the roof of the car. 

He smiled that crooked grin in return, "I have no idea what you mean...partner." He gracefully got in the driver's seat as Morticia's ire grew.

"He probably thinks we're dating or at least you're trying to get into my pants! Now I'm going to have to come up with an extensive cover story about this damn nonexistent project! Ugh, why the hell did you think this was s a good idea?" She all but spat at him as she settled in the passenger seat.

Edward took a moment to let her settle herself before replying, "Well I can't say he doesn't have some suspicions but he is much happier that I showed up instead of Emmett. If Emmett had shown up, your uncle would've had a heart attack." 

His soothing voice did ease her frown slightly. "Be that as it may, now he's gonna be curious and curiosity leads to gossip, which spreads like wildfire in this town." She audibly groaned, pressing her hands to her face.

'So much for keeping a low profile.' She thought to herself, sourly.

"If you think the gossip from your uncle would be bad, then I won't put the thought in your head of what will happen once we pull into the high school." He said cheekily as they sped down the road at what she was sure was not the speed limit. 

"You son of a bitch. I can't believe you're doing this to me. I'm gonna get you back so hard for this, just you wait your sparkly ass." She threatened, infuriated at his blatant disregard for her well being in this situation.

'Talk about throwing me to the fucking wolves.' She growled out her thoughts. 'Sitting at their lunch table was one thing but being chauffered to school by him was another. What's next, he gives me his letterman jacket?'

Edward laughed at her expression, "I promise I won't let you get ambushed! Alice assured me that you'd be fine and besides it's fun to see you get so riled up. You're cute when you're angry."

Morticia continued to glare daggers at the side of his face. 'Cute, huh. See how cute I am when I get Emmett to pummel your ass.' 

"Just tell me if anybody is planning a Carrie moment and we'll be fine." She finally responded as she settled her gaze out the window. 

Edward must have sensed her residual anger and was quick to try to diffuse the situation.

"I'm sorry if I upset you with my gesture or actions. I thought this would be a good time to try to be in an enclosed space with you and when Alice said she saw no problems I assumed you'd be fine with it. I should've taken your feelings into account." His voice was solemn and she knew that he really meant his apology. 

Sighing loudly, Morticia met his gaze. "Alright. I accept your apology but don't try to sugar coat anything. You are totally doing this so you can get your fan club to quit asking for autographs." 

Her response brought out another smile, "Yes, You caught me. I plan to use you as my scapegoat so I can finally stop being chased in the hallways." He said in a dull tone.

As their eyes met, Morticia couldn't help but wonder where this Edward had been hiding. In the book's portrayal, he seemed so stoic and serious, but the man beside her was so witty and playful. It was like a full 180 to what she expected. 

It wasn't long before they were pulling into the parking lot and as she expected, as soon as they stepped out of the car, all eyes were on them.

'it's like my first day all over again.' She thought as Edward moved to her side. 

"If it makes you feel any better, only a majority of people are thinking about if we're a couple, but not all of them." He murmured in her ear. Morticia just shook her head and turned slightly to face him.

"Thanks but it doesn't. Come on, let's just grin and bear it." She said as she turned to head to the front doors when she felt a weight settle on her lower back. Edward had put his hand on her back and was guiding her through the crowd that had gathered upon their entrance.

'Well, that's not going to help the rumors.' She thought with a grimace as she kept her head low.

After what felt like ages, they finally made it to the front doors.

"Thanks for helping me through the first round but I think I have to brave the next wave on my own. Wish me luck, I'm sure I'll see you at lunch." She said but didn't wait on his response as she quickly turned and all but ran into the building. There was no way that she was going to risk the rumor mill seeing him walk her to class, which she knew was going to be his next move.

As expected, the next few classes were literal hell for her. Every class she walked in, as soon as she entered it went dead silent and all heads turned to her. She was waiting for somebody to man up and ask her about it but shocker....nobody approached her. Instead, they chose to whisper behind her back and send her pointed or unsure glances.

Thankfully, Alice kept her sane with her delightful commentary of the conversations around them.

"Lauren and Jessica are about to go out of their minds wondering if you were able to snag Edward. They are like two angry kittens, it's quite funny actually." Alice told her with a snicker. "And don't get me started on the boys. Edward is getting some serious threats from Mike Newton and Tyler Crowley. Even Eric Yorkie is sending some not so nice suggestions his way."

Morticia groaned and lay her head on her desk. "Kill me now."

Alice giggled, "Don't worry. Lunch won't be too terrible. I fear that Edward may be challenged to a few duels though." 

That made Morticia's head immediately shoot up. "Alice, please tell me you're kidding." The pixie just laughed at her mortified expression, not giving her an answer.

'I wonder if a bus could just randomly run me over in the hallway.' She wondered as they made their way to the lunchroom.

Rather than leading Morticia to the Cullen's table, Alice steered her to a table next to their usual where Edward sat all by himself.

"Edward asked to sit with you by himself today. That is if you both can play nice without killing each other." She told Morticia with a sly grin.

"I make no promises." Morticia groaned as she went to sit across from the Bronze haired vampire. 

"Hello, did you have a nice day?." He greeted her sweetly, but Morticia heard the teasing undertone in his voice.

Morticia gave him an unimpressed look, "As if you don't know what hell I've been put through today."

Edward chuckled slightly, "You should hear some of the thoughts people are having right now. I fear I may have to fight for your hand with pistols at dawn."

Morticia gave him a withering glare, "Don't you fucking dare! As if I would let that happen. I am not some damsel in need of men fighting for her. I'll throat punch those pencil dicks before you can even yell 'BOO'." 

He seemed impressed at her response, which prompted a sense of pride within Morticia. 

'Yeah, Eddie boy, I'm not your defenseless damsel like Bella Swan...Speaking of Bella.' She knew she had to voice her thoughts to Edward about this new development, even if they agreed to speak about it tomorrow night. 

"Look, about the Bella situation-" She started but Edward cut her off.

"We've already discussed it. Alice doesn't see her arriving until well after I've controlled my thirst. I survived the car ride with you just fine, so I see no need to worry about Chief Swan's daughter just yet." He said soothingly as if the entire situation couldn't yield disastrous consequences. 

"Even if that were the case, there's still the concept that she wasn't supposed to show up until after spring break! It's barely into the fall semester and she's already decided she wants to move in with her father? Edward, this could mean the timeline is seriously screwed up. I can't help you if that is the case. I only know what Stephenie Meyer wrote in her books. Anything else that happens is way out of my league." She sighed, rubbing her temples as she could feel the migraine getting ready to start. 

Edward gave her a curious look and in an instant he was in the chair beside her, lightly touching her temples with his ice-cold fingers. Morticia glanced around, shocked that he would use his super-speed so flippantly in public, but thankfully nobody seemed to notice anything. Everyone else was immersed in their own table's conversations. 

When she turned back to look curiously at the man beside her, he gave her an intense stare. 

"Weren't you the one who said that I need to have more fun and stress less? Unless Alice says there is a need for worry then I won't waste time thinking about it. Besides, I need to put all my efforts into finishing our game, since you seem so keen on distracting me from it." His voice became very low at the end as he finally moved his fingertips from her face, but nor before he traced them lightly across her cheekbone, leaving an icy trail in their wake. 

"Distracting? I can distract you? You must be joking." She said as she shook herself out of the dazzling haze he put her through.

He gave her that smile again before ducking his head as if listening for something.

"Morticia, you really have no idea the impact you have on people, do you?" He said after turning back to face her. 

Not one to take compliments easily, she scoffed, "Yeah, as if I'm not the Vampire with Dazzling as a superpower. I am a simple human, sweetie. Nothing special here." 

He just gave her another intense stare before sighing, "At least do me the favor of humoring me a tad?"

Morticia faked time to think it over before slyly replying, "I suppose if you insist to continue this little game."

He grinned like a little boy that was given permission to play with his new toy. "Well then, I believe we left off at our favorite seasons, so let me change the pace and ask about your musical preference."

Morticia knew he was going to ask her about this and decided to humor him even more, "I know you want me to say classical, Piano man, but I have to say I love some rock n' roll." 

She could visibly see him mock a cringe and place his hand over his heart.

"That hurts, that really...hurts." He groaned, sadly.

Morticia giggled before continuing, "Although I have to say, Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata' is very much my scene, so I think there's hope for me yet." 

He seemed to perk up after that news and decided to continue with his questioning. They started out pretty mediocre. What her favorite movies were, her favorite foods, but eventually it evolved to more worldly topics like her aspirations in life and where she wanted to travel to.

"I've always wanted to see the gloomy, dark shores of Ireland and Scottland. To see the old ruins of the castles that stood long ago. It sounds so mysterious, you'd be crazy not to go." She said with a grin. Edward seemed to take that in but before he could ask anything else, the bell rang and they had to hurry to their next class.

It wasn't until after her final class of the day that Lauren finally decided to confront her about Edward. She was standing at her locker placing her things into her bag when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

Morticia turned to see Lauren flanked by Jessica and another random girl on each arm. Lauren had a sneer that would make a Banshee jealous. 

"So, it looks like the new girl nabbed Edward Cullen. What did you do to get him to notice you, offer him a blowjob in the bathroom like the piece of trash you are?" Lauren said, her voice full of hate and malice. 

Morticia couldn't contain her laughter at the confident looks Jessica and the other girl were giving Lauren as if congratulating her on her little speech. 

"What are you laughing at, freak?" The unknown girl's nasally voice echoed in the nearly empty hallway. 

Morticia, finally composing herself replied, "Really? That's what you come up with? You had all day to come up with a witty response and all you came up with was me giving Edward Cullen a blowjob to get him to notice me? Wow, no wonder he passed on your ass. You have no fucking creativity." She slammed her locker door shut after she finished. 

"Also, just a tip for you girls in the future, the best way to get a guy to notice you is to 1. to not have the fucking personality of a blow-up doll and 2. to use your goddamn brains once in a while! Seriously, if the best thing you can do is slut-shame me, you're more pathetic than I anticipated. Bye, bitches." Morticia continued, flipping them the bird as she strolled down the now deserted hallway. 

She could hear Lauren's screech as she all but floated down the hallway.

'That's what you get for trying to slut-shame, bitch. You can take your little posse and shove it up your ass.' She thought happily as she entered the parking lot to see the Cullens standing by their respective vehicles and Alice was nearly vibrating with excitement. 

As soon as Morticia reached the Volvo, Alice exploded, "Oh my god. That was the best thing I've ever seen! Rose has been wanting to tell her off for years! You were awesome."

Emmett chimed in with, "Hell yeah! The little human's got some fight in her! Can we keep her Rosie?"

Rosalie just gave him a dull look and slapped his shoulder, "Shut up Emmett," she said teasingly.

Morticia just shrugged nonchalantly, "The bitch had it coming! I mean really, slut-shaming and then to try and intimidate me with the little posse? I take offense just at the thought. I'm a chick that runs with vampires, did she really think that would scare me." 

That seemed to get a laugh out of everybody present, even Jasper, who still looked wary around her.

"Hey, Jazzy boy. Give me a heads up will you if she's feeling murderous, alright? I want to get a head start on my defense." Morticia ordered teasingly to the southern man.

Jasper just smiled lightly and tipped an invisible hat in her direction, "Will do ma'am," he said with sincerity that put them all into fits of laughter again.

Edward took the initiative this time to grab Morticia's attention by leading her towards the Volvo.

"You'll have plenty of time to continue with your plan of attack on Lauren and her squad tomorrow." He murmured into her ear as he opened her door for her.

"I bet it killed you that I didn't let you open my door this morning." She said knowingly as he visibly deflated.

"I knew you'd catch onto that." He said with a shake of his head then gave her a dazzling smile, "But now you know to expect it." 

Before Morticia could give him a response he had glided over to the driver's side and was already behind the wheel.

'I really hate when he does that.' She thought, annoyed as she bucked her seatbelt before giving him a glance.

He was staring at her with an unreadable expression, he seemed to be giving her a bunch of those lately and it was starting to eat at her a little bit.

"What? You're looking at me funny." She said uncomfortably as she shifted under his gaze.

Edward visibly shifted as he noticed her change in demeanor. "I'm sorry, If I make you feel uncomfortable, it's just...you're so different to anyone that I've ever met and I'm trying to figure you out. It's very frustrating not to be able to know what you're thinking." His voice was soft as if he was worried he would scare her if he raised it any higher. 

"You really don't want to know what's going through my brain. It takes complicated to a whole new level." Morticia told him before glancing down at her lap and fidgeting with the rings on her hands. It was a nervous habit that she picked up when she was young. 

Suddenly she felt a hard and cold hand grasp hers and pull it away from her lap. She glanced up at him, shocked at how much he chose to touch her. 'Didn't it take him and Bella weeks to get to this level of comfort?' she thought as she took in the sight of him.

Edward held her hand so delicately within his own as if he were afraid to make any sudden movements. She knew he was thinking about how fragile her humanity was and how much of a monster he was, and she thought it best to nip those thoughts in the bud right now. 

"I know this is so cliche to have this conversation in a school parking lot but... stop thinking what you're thinking about right now. Just stop it." She said adamantly as she watched his brows furrow.

"Are you suddenly a telepath now?" He asked as he turned her hand over in his grasp, lightly tracing the lines of her palm as he spoke. 

"You're thinking about how fragile I am and about how strong you are. You think your strength ultimately means you are a monster." She said as she watched him focus solely on his task, his fingers never leaving her skin as he spoke next.

"No, I think the blood-drinking and the marble skin deem me a monster." His gaze was hard as he met hers, the tiny cab of the Volvo suddenly became very warm as Morticia felt the intensity in his gaze.

"The only thing that should be afraid of you is Bambi, or should I say any mountain lions in the area. I'll be sure to put warning signs in the forests later." She knew sardonic humor was not needed at the moment but that is how she coped with stressful situations. 

Edward didn't seem to appreciate the sass and his grip tightened just a tad, "You have no idea how hard it is not to unleash my entire strength...to just let go and have my instincts take over." 

Morticia was unaffected by his attempt to scare her and leveled an equally challenging gaze at him. "Then do it. If you think you're such a monster, kill me. Break my neck so I won't scream and drain me before I go cold." 

He looked at her shocked and slightly mortified as he jerked away from her. "What? How can you be so flippant about something as precious as your life?"

Morticia grinned, knowing that she had him right where she wanted him. "And that is exactly why you aren't a monster. You value human life. Even though you crave my blood, you'd never let yourself have a taste because you'd never jeopardize your family or my life. A monster would take pleasure in killing me and draining me of my blood with no remorse. Remember after you went AWOL after you changed? You went back to Carlisle. You chose not to give in to your instincts and instead chose to be apart of something bigger." 

Her revelation shocked him into silence and all he could do was stare at her in disbelief.

"How can you stand to be around me after knowing all my sins?" He asked, seemingly breathless.

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Edward Cullen. But know that I 've seen monsters in this world...You may be slightly damaged but you are most definitely not a monster." She said with a look of understanding before continuing, "Now as much fun as this little therapy session has been, I really need to get home to make sure Tony didn't burn the house down. You can pick my brain again tomorrow, ok." 

Edward gave her a look of astonishment before composing himself and quickly driving out of the parking lot on route to her home. 

As Morticia was gathering her belongings, she felt Edward open her door and gave him a knowing glance. "You're nowhere near being done with your questions, are you?" 

He gave her a boyish grin, "You said yourself, I know nothing about you Morticia Addams, but I'd like to change that." 

She rolled her eyes and quickly made her way to her front door. 

"Morticia." She heard Edward call and quickly turned around. "Thank you... for what you said today." He said, almost as if he were stumbling over his words.

Morticia gave him a smile, "Anytime, but I'm not sure if you can afford my hourly rates if we have any more sessions." With a wink she hurriedly ran inside the house, unable to hide her giggles.

She stayed, with her forehead pressed against the door for a few moments before her happy bubble was popped by Tony.

"So, I take it your day went well," Tony said, teasingly as Morticia spun around quickly.

"Jesus, Uncle Tony! Don't scare a girl like that!" Morticia breathed, placing a hand on her erratic heart.

Tony just chucked, "If that blush on your cheeks is any indication, I'd say you were smitten with that Cullen boy." 

Morticia tensed up, "What? No, we're just partners for that project, like I said this morning."

Tony quickly threw up his hands to show he meant no offense, "Hey, I'm just sayin' you chose well. The Cullen's are nice folks. Dr. Cullen is the best Doc we've had in a while and as much as I hate to admit that Edward boy seemed like quite the gentleman. I approve." He said teasingly as he backed into the kitchen.

"I DO NOT have a crush on Edward Cullen," Morticia said lowly. Her uncle didn't seem deterred as he gave her a knowing glance over his shoulder, "That may be true but what about him kiddo. Boys don't just give rides to their 'partners' for school projects. I was a teenage boy once too and I can spot the signs of a budding romance when I see one. I'm not that old ya know." He said with a chuckle.

Morticia was too shocked to form words. Was her Uncle really trying to tell her that Edward Cullen had a crush on her? No, that's impossible. He's destined for Bella Swan, the woman who literally had no character growth the entire franchise. 

"You can't be serious." She finally uttered, after she regained her witts.

Tony gave her a thoughtful gaze, "I'm telling you kiddo, Uncles, and dads know these things. That boy had hearts in his eyes when he picked you up this morning and was practically giddy when he got in the car a minute ago."

"Wait, were you watching us?!" Morticia shrieked, mortified once more. Her uncle looked sheepish and blushed slightly.

"Well it was getting late and I just happened to be looking out the window as you pulled up! Don't change the subject! Look, Morticia. I know you're trying to be strong since everything that happened with your parents, but it's ok to let yourself be happy with somebody. You don't have to take care of everybody else, let someone take care of you for a change." Tony said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. 

Morticia felt tears welling up inside her eyes. Even back home she hadn't let herself have any fun since she was taking care of Damon and her parents. Maybe this was the universe's twisted way of giving her a wake-up call. Wait, what was she thinking, take a chance with Edward Cullen. No way in Hell. Besides, he'd never be interested in her, right? Her uncle was just reading things wrong, for sure.

She gave her uncle a bone-crushing hug before murmuring, "Thanks for looking out for me, uncle Tony. I really appreciate it."

Tony rubbed circles into her back, replying, "of course, Kiddo. Anytime, just promise to never tell me any details of your dating life. An old man can only handle so much."

Morticia pulled back and socked him in the shoulder, "Ok, enough mushy stuff. I'm going to bed."

As she made her way upstairs she heard her uncle's voice follow her, "Have sweet dreams of your darling Edward, Tisha!"

Morticia groaned as she threw herself on her duvet and smashed her face into her mountain of pillows. 

'What the hell was Tony getting at? There's no way that Edward was going soft on me. I just cracked his stony shell, that's all. Yeah, that makes sense. He has to like me a little since I'm helping him with Bella. It's gratitude and nothing more. Nothing at all...' She thought to herself as she tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable. 

She had no dreams that night, as she couldn't get into a deep enough sleep to dream. Her brain was too active with thoughts of what was to come and what could be...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tony sees more than anybody gave him credit for...I wonder what's going through Eddie boy's head right now?


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for any formatting errors, of course my computer decided to have a mini-meltdown in the middle of me writing this chapter!

(Edward's Pov)  
I could already sense changes happening before Alice decided to voice them to the rest of our family. Morticia was changing me, just being around her made me forget all the darkness I though shrouded my immortal life. I had only known her for less than a week but already but I knew that my life, as well as that of the rest of my family, were never going to be the same.

After the scene Morticia caused with Lauren at school, Alice decided to regale the entire event to our 'parents' that evening.

"Carlisle, Esme you should've seen it! I feel bad that I wasn't able to see it in a vision but Morticia handles herself so well! She was so badass!" Alice practically squealed as she beamed up at Jasper, who had an impressed look on his face.

"I have to admit, she was very restrained. I have a hard time reading her, yet I was feeling some intense waves of anger from her. Her self-control is astounding. I could tell that she wanted to lash out further but I guess she knew it wouldn't do her any favors." Jasper said with a tone of admiration in his voice.

'I wonder what she could be like as vampire, having that much self-restraint....Sorry Edward' His thoughts unnerved Edward slightly.

Thinking of Morticia as a vampire didn't spark as much disgust as he had imagined it would have. He guessed it was to be assumed that she would become one of us, eventually. If the Volturi ever found out about her... He shuddered at the thought. Aro had an intense craving for acquiring powerful immortals to "join" his coven and the idea of him coming after Morticia caused something primal inside him to rage.

'Edward, I'm getting some intense waves from you, what's going on?' Jasper's worried thoughts entered his mind as a wave of calm settled over him.

Shaking his head slightly, Edward quickly changed the subject. "Carlisle. As I'm sure Alice has already mentioned, Bella Swan will be arriving much sooner than expected."

Carlisle and Esme shared a worried glance and Rosalie's face twisted in anger.

"You've got to be kidding me! Now we have another human too worry about?" She was practically spitting venom.

Esme was quick to try to calm the tension in the room. "Now, now. Let's not fight. We all knew this was coming, thanks to Morticia. We've been anticipating Bella's arrival, it just came earlier than expected. We can work with this."

Her optimism never failed to ease our worries, but this time Edward feared that they would need some sort of miracle to overcome this. Not only did he have to deal with one mouth-watering singer, but now he had another one heading his way.

The thought of Morticia's delicious scent made his head spin and venom pool in his mouth. He quickly shook those thoughts away as Jasper sent him another concerned look.

"There's no need to worry at all. I already saw her arrival this morning and Edward will be able to stand Bella's scent as long as he stays close to Morticia. The more time he spends with her, the better off he will be." Alice chirped next to Jasper. Her voice told Edward that there was more to her vision than she was letting them know, and caused him to furrow his brow.

Alice seemed to sense his confusion and sent him a quick image his way. In it he saw himself sitting next to Bella and having a seemingly cordial conversation with no ounce of restrain, but he could tell that his focus wasn't on the brunette in front of him. He only had eyes for the blonde-haired, macabre beauty standing in the background. Alice also sent another small clip, which he wasn't sure if he was meant to see.

It was himself and Morticia walking in what looked like a graveyard. They were walking hand in hand and laughing. The scene quickly escalated from laughter to an intense stare between the two and Edward thought his expression almost looked nervous yet excited. Morticia's glance held what he believed to be, was it, love? Or affection? He'd never seen anything that passionate before, only between his siblings and their respective lovers.  
Alice looked stunned as she brought herself back and stared at him with wide eyes.

'What was that?' He wondered to himself. 'Is my future really so...happy?'

Rosalie broke him out of his reverie with another statement, filled with disdain.  
"I swear, Edward. If you bring another human into this house and risk everything we've worked for..."  
Edward chose not to take her threats to heart, for he still hadn't gotten over the vision that Alice had just shown him. It made him think back to the revelations Morticia showed him earlier in the car.

'Have I really been so cynical of my existence?' Thinking back to the time he turned up until quite recently, Edward felt shame welling up inside him. Although he had respected Carlisle as the leader of his coven, he never thanked him for giving him a second chance at life. That night in 1918, Carlisle could've ignored his promise to his mother and left Edward to die, but he didn't. He took a chance and created a companion. A companion who resented him and fought against him. A companion who believed himself to be better than others because of a gift he was able to obtain thanks to Carlisle's compassion. Not only had he been shamefully cold to his maker, but to his siblings as well.

The shame Edward felt began to turn to dread. Morticia was right. He had been hiding behind a wall of self-deprecation for over a century, but now was the time to tear it down.

Edward took a step forward and looked around at his family, "There's something I need to say to you all. This is a conversation that has been long overdue."

The others looked on with an air of curiosity, Rosalie still simmering with slight ire. Edward shifted slightly as he focused on how to begin. He settled his gaze on Carlisle, his oldest friend.

"Firstly, I have to say that I am sorry for the way that I have treated all of you since you joined our family. Especially you Carlisle. You gave me an extraordinary gift and I shamefully held it against you all these years instead of celebrating my new chance at life. I wallowed in my own darkness and never realized just how it affected the rest of you. Carlisle, you fulfilled your promise to my mother and for that, I thank you, so very much. You could've left me to die, but instead, you took the risk and gave me a new life as well as a new family."

Carlisle looked shocked nearly to tears if vampires could cry, but Edward wasn't finished. He turned his attention to Esme next. "Esme. You've always treated like a son and yet I pushed you away when Carlisle first brought you into our lives. For that I can never apologize enough, I just hope you can find some way to forgive me. I don't remember much of my birth mother but I'm positive that she would be very happy to know that not only did Carlisle save me, but he also gave me another mother figure to look after son. I'm very blessed to have you both." Esme couldn't contain herself and rushed to give Edward a bone-crushing hug.

After a few moments, she pulled away to look up at him, "Of course I forgive you, dear. It's all in the past." Edward was pleased that she forgave him so easily and looked to Carlisle to gage his response. Carlisle had a look of pride as he looked at his first son.  
"Esme is right, Edward. It's all in the past, but I'm glad that you've found a sense of peace within yourself. You'll always be my son, no matter what path you chose and I would never hold that against you." Carlisle said, his voice full of sincerity.

Smiling at his adoptive parents, Edward then turned his attention to Rosalie. "Rosalie. I believe that I owe you the largest apology, one that is very much overdue. You had such a traumatic end to your previous life and rather than treating you with sensitivity I blatantly rejected you because of Carlisle's subtle attempts to end my loneliness. Although I regret the way you were brought into our family, I never regretted calling you my sister."

Rosalie wore a look of shock and her thoughts were silent. It took her a few moments to compose a response. "I won't lie. Your rejection hurt, but I admit I was rather narcissistic. I was more hurt that you didn't find me attractive rather than finding me a possible lover. However, everything worked out as it was meant to. I found Emmett and you're going to find your mate. Besides, I'm certain we would've killed each other if we tried to make a relationship work." She ended her response with a teasing tone that made Edward feel slightly better.

He had worried that she would be the hardest to accept his apology. They had carried this baggage for too many decades and it was time to put it to rest. "I completely agree, I could never compete with Emmett." Edward breathed with laughter.

This seemed to break some tension in the room and Emmett set up straighter.  
"Damn straight you can't compete with me, Eddie! Look at all of this." Emmett struck a bodybuilder pose that sent the rest of the family into even more fits of laughter.

Rosalie looked at her husband lovingly, "Yes you're the best sweetie," yet her tone of voice held a sense of sarcasm coupled with adoration.

After everybody calmed down, Jasper chose to speak up. "What brought this epiphany, bother?"   
"Morticia. She reminded me that even though I'm immortal, I was turned as a teenager and am partial to make mistakes like any other human."   
Emmett roared with laughter, "I love that human. If she can make Eddie boy realize he isn't perfect we need to keep her around!" The rest of his family gave their affirmations and made Edward realize just how much Morticia had become a sort of glue for his family.

'Bless her.' Esme thought happily, 'She really has brought a new light into this family.'  
'She really has changed him, for the better.' Carlisle chimed in.  
'I can't wait for the slumber party tomorrow night!' Alice's bubbly thoughts brought a smile to his face

Things were finally beginning to change around the Cullen household all thanks to the blonde bombshell with haunting blue eyes. 

(Morticia Pov)  
Although she got a good eight hours of sleep, Morticia looked as if she hadn't slept a wink. Thoughts of her budding relationship with a certain auburn-haired Adonis were still swirling in her mind. She sincerely hoped that Tony was just seeing things that weren't there.  
It wasn't that Edward wasn't attractive in her opinion. She wasn't blind, but with Bella Swan showing up so suddenly, she knew whatever relationship could happen between them would soon wither away at the sight of his true mate. 

'He'll look at her and it'll be as if I never existed to him.' She thought glumly as she slowly traipsed down the stairs the next morning and began her routine for the day.   
She must have had a doom and gloom air about her as Tony decided to not mention the situation again. Caleb was his normal cheerful self, which made Morticia's heart swell just a bit.   
Seeing her cousin so cheerful made her realize that even without the Cullen clan she still had a support system here for her. 

'So, what if Edward wants to be with Mrs. Dull and klutzy. They deserve each other. I've got the best end of the deal just sitting here with Caleb and Tony.' She told herself as she watched her cousin drown his pancakes in syrup.  
"Uh, Tisha, do you have everything packed for tonight? Mrs. Cullen told me that you were having a slumber party with her daughter Alice tonight." Tony finally pulled her out of her thoughts as he flipped through the morning paper.

Morticia suddenly remembered the promise she made to Alice. She would have to spend the night with vampires and be in close quarters with the main reason of her unrest. She shuddered to think of what activities Alice had planned for the evening.   
"Uh, yeah I'll go pack my bag now. Are you cool with taking Caleb to school again today? I'm sorry to ask you, I know you wanted me to help out with that." But Tony waved her off.  
"Don't worry about it, it gives us more father/son bonding, right Caleb?"   
They watched as Caleb dramatically groaned and the three burst into laughter.   
Morticia quickly ran upstairs to pack her bag, raced back downstairs, quickly grabbing her iced coffee, and headed out the door. 

As she drove down the road, Morticia's thoughts were full of worry and anticipation. It was one thing to be able to hang around Edward with an air of disinterest. But now that Tony pointed out how easy they acted around each other... it set her on edge.   
Did Edward think she was making a move on him and was just too gentlemanly to tell her off? Was he secretly creeped out that she knew so much about his family/his future?  
By the time, she pulled into the school parking lot she had successfully made herself a ball of nerves ready to spring at any moment. Great job, Morticia

She knew she was going to garner unwanted attention today, and not because she was associated with the Cullens. Her little stunt with Lauren and Jessica probably painted a giant target on her back and she was grateful that Edward wasn't waiting for her outside her house today. Arriving on Edward's arm might just cause a catfight...and those are so fucking annoying.  
As fast as humanly possible, Morticia all but raced through the buildings to her locker and got herself to her first class in record time. She could feel the stares and heard the whispers, but Angela was the only one who dared to approach her.

"Hey, Morticia. How've you been." The dark-haired girl asked shyly. Out of all the human girls in this hell hole, Angela was a rare species. She actually had a personality, albeit she may lack some confidence.   
"Just tell it to me straight, Angela. How many threats have been made on my life today?" Morticia asked with a sigh.   
Angela's face became slightly pink and she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, nervously.   
"I'd rather not repeat the things I've heard today. It's safe to say that you made quite a scandal. Lauren's been spreading really nasty rumors, just to let you know. Not that I believe any of them!" Angela was quick to include the last comment. 

It caused Morticia to chuckle, "Angela, you are a rare breed if you don't listen to high school gossip. Thank you for letting me know, by the way. That was super nice of you."  
Angela's blush came back again, "W-well I just thought it wasn't fair that nobody was telling you that Lauren was saying mean things behind your back. I mean- you're so nice and you were just telling her the truth-," Morticia was quick to stop the other girls ramble. 

"I totally get it, and I'm happy that I was the one to knock queen bitch's crown sideways, even if it was just for twenty-four hours. Hey if you ever want a reprieve from the hell squad, you can come hang out with this freak anytime," She said with a wink.  
Angela gave her a timid smile, "Thanks, and you're not a freak. I love your style, it's very unique for Forks."   
'This may be the start to a beautiful friendship,' Morticia thought happily as she settled into the humdrum of another boring school day.   
Alice accosted her at lunch and told her to follow them after class to their place and to "get ready to party," which really didn't make her feel any better. What was even more unsettling- the glances that Edward was giving her the entire day. If she thought that previous glances were intense, these were scorching, but they held another emotion that she couldn't describe. 

She thought about asking him what was on his mind but decided that he was probably trying to figure out his plan for Bella's arrival, so she left it alone. She'd have plenty of time to pick his brain later. Thankfully the rest of the day went by without any incidents with Jessica or Lauren and before she knew it, Morticia was driving down the familiar path to the Cullen's driveway.  
'I've got to ask Esme about where she gets her ideas from.' She thought as she was once again blinded by the immaculate beauty of the Cullen house. 

Speaking of Mrs. Cullen, Esme was waiting to greet her on the steps and Alice all but dragged her into the house.   
"Hello, Morticia." Esme greeted her as they stepped into the foyer. Morticia beamed at the Cullen matriarch.   
"Hello, Mrs. Cullen. Thank you for having me over." She said as she shifted slightly on her feet.   
Esme waved her hand slightly, "Oh, call me Esme, dear," and brought her into a hug.   
After she pulled away, Morticia noticed Carlisle had appeared at his wife's side.   
"Well, well, if it isn't Dr. London Bridges himself." Morticia drawled as she turned her attention to the Cullen patriarch.  
If vampires could blush, Carlisle Cullen would be scarlet. "Always good to see you, Morticia." He said with a chuckle. 

'one day I'm going to get that man to speak British to me.' She chuckled to herself.

They eventually moved into the family living room and she noticed the other vampires had already made themselves comfortable on the furniture. Another thing Morticia noticed was that there seemed to be a lighter atmosphere within the home. She could tell that something had happened from the time she had last seen the family.   
Edward especially seemed to have a certain skip in his step as he rose from the piano bench to greet her.   
"I hope you don't mind all the outrageous clichés that Alice is ultimately going to put you through tonight." He said with a blinding smile that made Morticia's heart skip a beat.  
"Oh, I think I can handle whatever Alice throws my way, it's you boys that I'm worried about. Tinkerbell has to have somebody run her errands for her supplies, doesn't she?" She said with a faux innocent tone to her voice, as she arched a brow. 

Her reply didn't seem to unnerve him as she had hoped it would. She guessed he was getting used to her snarky, sarcastic self at this point. Rather, he had a somewhat amused expression as he led her over to sit at his piano.   
'Ah, the infamous piano.' She thought as she lightly ran her fingers over the keys.   
Instead of waiting for permission, she decided to shock the vampire seated to her right and began to play the beginnings of what she knew to be 'the piano duet' from Tim Burton's Corpse Bride. It seemed quite fitting, actually. 

She played all the way through until Victor was supposed to play his piece when she stopped to glance around the room. It was empty. She was kind of shocked, although she hadn't expected them to sit around her the entire time, she didn't expect her playing to run them off so quickly.  
"I think they decided to give us some privacy," Edward said softly next to her, making her jump slightly. 

"Oh, good. I was worried that my horrendous playing may have scared them off." She laughed as she nervously tucked her hair behind her ears. She hadn't played in ages it felt like. "I'm sorry for just taking over like that. A habit I guess." She trailed off, her voice becoming very small once she noticed how close they were sitting.   
"I think you play lovely. Where did you learn? Have you been playing long?" He enquired, his melodic voice settling at her same pitch. 

The memories made her smile, "Yeah, ever since I was little. My mom had this big piano in the corner of our living room and one day she asked if I wanted to play with her. We started out with basic scales but I started playing songs by ear. I stopped once I got into college, I just didn't have the time but our house was always filled with some sort of music, especially during the holidays."   
"You must miss your family terribly," Edward said, his voice full of pity.

"Yes, and no. Yes, I'm sad that I will likely never see them again but in a way, I'm also happy about this new opportunity. I know that's odd to say since my aesthetic is so doom and gloom but I do try to be an optimist sometimes. If I were to spiral into a depression every time I was thrown for a loop back home, I'm not sure where I'd be now, Edward." She said, trying her best to convey a sense of half-heartedness. 

"Now, enough with the heavy, why don't you show me what you've got Mr. Piano man? Do you think you can handle another pianist at your precious baby?" She said teasingly as she ran her fingers over the keys.

His eyebrow raised at the challenge and she could swear she heard him growl slightly.   
"Alright, but remember...you asked for it." He said as his fingers began their choreographed routine over the keys. 

The books weren't lying, Edward did play beautifully. Every note he played seemed to convey some sort of unknown emotion that was pulling her into craving more. It wasn't long before she could feel the dulcet tones of the piano lulling her into a relaxing numbness that nearly sent her to slumber. If it wasn't for Alice's interruption, she may have actually fallen asleep against him.

"Don't you think about falling asleep on us this early, Morticia! There is too much to do before tomorrow!" The pixie-Esque woman made a very intimidating picture as she stood with her hands firmly on her hips.   
Morticia chuckled slightly as she moved to grab her bag from where she dropped it by the bench.

"At least let me change into some PJs before you decide to break out the glitter and friendship bracelets ok?" Her response made Alice's hard frown lift a tiny bit as she hurried to grab the blonde woman's arm and drag her up the stairs. 

She turned to give Edward one last glance over her shoulder before she was ushered up the stairs. Alice led her to a room at the end of the hallway. It was a fairly modern style room with wide windows and strategic furniture, but the oddest thing was the bed in the center of the room. It was clearly a king-size bed and what they used it for- vampires don't sleep- she didn't want to know.

"This is the guest bedroom and we decided that since we never really furnished it, we would get it all set up for you when you decide to stay over." Alice happily chirped as she moved to perch on the edge of the bed.

"We decided to make it very grayscale in the color scheme but if you want anything different, Esme or I would be happy to shop for you!" Her enthusiasm reminded Morticia somewhat of Caleb and the thought nearly brought her to fits of laughter.   
"I'll keep that in mind, hey where's the bathroom so I can change." She asked, turning in a circle to find what she hoped was the door she needed.

Alice pointed in the direction of the wall by the door and quickly Morticia made her way there. She knew with a vampire attention span and lack of privacy that she needed to change as quickly as possible. That was easier said than done as the second she entered the bathroom it was as if she had entered a fucking lavish spa bathroom. There was a walk-in shower, a Jacuzzi tub, and full-length mirrors. 

She knew the mirrors would pose a problem for her as she hated seeing her body in any sort of reflection. One thing to learn about Morticia Addams was that confident she may be on the outside yet insecure and timid she was on the inside when it came to her own image. It was easy to put on a front and empower other women, it was another to take her own advice.  
She had stripped down to her black bralette and panties when Alice suddenly barged into the bathroom.   
Morticia was too shocked to cover up so the just stood there as Alice's eyes quickly roamed her figure. 

She knew what to expect in Alice's gaze, horror, shock, and usually pity. The prominent ribcage and chest bone were enough to shock a human, let alone a vampire. It didn't take long for Alice to shake herself out of her shock.  
"Oh...you're so...tiny." Alice murmured softly and Morticia burst out laughing.  
"Really Alice was that the best you could come up with!" She didn't mean it to come out so sarcastic but it probably did.   
Alice didn't know how to respond so Morticia decided to just tell her like it is. 

"Look, I know I look like a walking skeleton. Can we just get that out in the open? I've been battled anorexia and body dysmorphia since I was a little kid and it's just something that I've learned to deal with. That's why I refused to change with other girls when I took gym class and why I should have locked the door when I came in here." She said as she moved to cover herself a tiny bit, feeling too exposed for her liking.

"But you... you're so confident at school. I never would've guessed..." Alice trailed off.  
Morticia scoffed, "An act. Everybody can talk a big game but life is harder. But it's fine, I'm dealing with it. I may not eat as often or as much as I should but every now and then I do try to push myself just a tad." She was quick to try to downplay the situation. The last thing she needed was a bunch of vampires trying to fatten her up to make her, "healthier."

"Look, can we just rewind. You go outside, I'll change really quick and we can go enjoy the stuff you planned, ok?" She said while ushering Alice out the bathroom door. 

The still shocked vampire was only able to mutter an, "ok," before Morticia practically slammed the door. She took a few moments to try to compose herself in the mirror, pulling on the ends of her hair, trying to control her breathing, and not to cry. 

'Come on, you're stronger than this. You can do this. Don't let this be a setback.' She chanted to herself as she got the courage to look at herself fully in the mirror. The woman staring back at her was a woman she didn't recognize. Her hair was all cray, her eyes were wild and red. Thankfully though, a sense of calm settled over her and she wondered if she should even verbally thank Jasper or if it would be better to just move on from it. 

As promised she very very quickly changed into her PJs and found herself in an empty bedroom. Guessing that Alice had gone into the living room, Morticia took a deep breath and followed her instincts.

As she predicted, not only was Alice seated on the couch but the rest of the family. She knew from the looks on their faces that they had heard everything that happened upstairs, and were probably all very confused. Fucking super hearing.

Taking another quick deep breath, she started, "Look, I'm not gonna gloss over the fact that you all totally heard what just happened upstairs and I'm not trying to ignore it, but please can you not make a big deal out of it."

Esme looked as if someone had just run over her puppy but have her a slight nod, none the less. "Of course, dear, whatever you wish." She quickly grasped Carlisle's hand for assurance and Morticia knew this next part was not going to go well.

"Morticia, from what Alice described, I would feel better if you talked to someone..." Carlisle began in a soft yet firm voice. She immediately backed away, as if ready to bolt. 

"No, I've done that. I've gone to the therapy sessions and I've learned the tricks. I won't let you do that to me again. I won't." She said breathlessly as she began to think up a quick escape plan.

'This just went from bad to worse, really quick.' She thought, panicked. 

Jasper didn't need to be an empath to see how uncomfortable she was or how she was about to bolt and he was quick to try to pose a solution.

"Carlisle, why don't we keep this in the family. I don't think Morticia likes how gossip driven this town is and it would be unfair to put her in that situation. What if I were to help? I know I may not be able to influence her as easily as other people, but I do have a Ph.D. in psychology if you remember. I may be able to work with her to make her feel more, comfortable." Morticia felt as if she could cry at that moment.

She knew it was already difficult for Jasper to be around her in a normal setting but in such an intimate setting as her therapist? She'd really have to think of some way to repay him. Carlisle seemed to consider this option as Rosalie chimed in from her spot by the window. 

"I think it's a great idea, and Carlisle can monitor her health progress as well just to make sure everything is normal." Rosalie's voice held a new sense of warmth that brought another wave of tears to Morticia's eyes. 

'Why does Rosalie suddenly care about my well-being? My story must be really tragic if she's worried about my mental and physical health.' She groaned, hating the feeling of being so vulnerable. 

Carlisle turned his gaze towards her, gaging her reaction, "well I see nothing wrong with that arrangement if you don't."

Morticia took a few moments to look at all the people in the room. Jasper and Alice were giving her encouraging smiles, Rosalie had a knowing look in her eyes while Emmett was uncharacteristically frowning slightly, Esme and Carlisle shared looks of concern, and Edward look like he was in unimaginable pain. 

Edward's usually honey-colored eyes were now as black as ebony and his features were stony and rigid. She knew that if she didn't agree to this he would have a bigger meltdown than he did in New Moon. She was his only lifeline to learning about Bella Swan and she basically just admitted to starving herself, great impressions Morticia. 

Taking a shuddering breath, she turned her gaze back to Jasper and Carlisle, "I just have one request if we do this." She paused to make sure she had their attention.

"Carlisle has to speak in his English accent around me and Jasper has to use his southern accent. 

My sanity will take no less if I am to endure such tortures." She said trying to hide her grin.

The entire room burst into uncontrolled laughter at her response and even Morticia cracked a smile. It felt good to finally be able to tell others about her inner demons. Jasper and Carlisle both nodded their consent and She turned her gaze to Edward. His eyes still held their hard edge but his features had softened a tad. 

She knew he would require a more in-depth explanation from her but at the moment she felt so emotionally drained that she'd rather not go into that.   
"Alright, I think that after all of that it's spa time!" Alice chirped, very happy at the sudden change in the atmosphere. "Rose, be sure to grab your extra relaxing bath bombs and the best face masks you have, it's totally time for a girl's night." 

Morticia laughed Alice's enthusiasm before turning to Esme and pleading, "Please say you'll join us. I don't think I'll survive on my own with those two." She gestured to the staircase where the other two females had flashed away.

Esme smiled and gave her a reassuring hug, Morticia was beginning to really love those.   
"Of course, dear. I'd be honored." As they both began to climb the stairs, Morticia stopped to turn back towards the boys still in the living room. 

"Hey, Jasper, can we start on those sessions ASAP? I think I could really use one." She asked timidly, shuffling in Esme's arms.

Jasper gave her a crooked grin and tipped his fake hat again, "We can start tomorrow ma'am. As soon as the lady wishes." She knew he was laying on the accent thick and it made her heart warm at the thought. She wasn't going to lie, the idea of going to therapy scared her, even if it was with Jasper. But, this time she was more hopeful than she'd ever been in the past.

'Who would've thought a bunch of Vampires staging a mini intervention for a human would cause such emotional turmoil...or end up in so much nail polish.' She thought as she and Esme entered the "Girls night festivities."

(Edward Pov)

The image that popped up in Alice's head nearly made him crush the piano keys beneath his fingers. Morticia's gorgeous figure was so thin and gaunt as though she were merely skin and bones. Hearing her describe her mental illness so flippantly made him want to run upstairs and cradle her in his arms, but Edward knew that wouldn't be the best course of action. Morticia was not a woman to be coddled if past experiences had told them anything. 

She was an independent woman who hated relying on others.  
It's lucky that Jasper is such a powerful empath because had he not sent some calming waves towards his brother, Edward may have caused a much bigger scene.  
'Edward you need to calm down. Imagine what kind of a mess you would cause if you run in there guns blazing! You'll scare Morticia to death!'   
His brother's thoughts caused Edward to stop from his crouched position over his piano, he could feel the imprint he had left on the top but he couldn't bring himself to care.  
'Ed, just let her come down and explain,' Emmett tried to reason with him.  
He knew he should try to relax but as he watched her walk down the stairs, looking so lost and so timid... he nearly lost it again. He never wanted to see her so sad ever again, it was as if her sadness caused a gaping hole to spread in his chest and he saw no way to fill it but to see her smile once again.

Trying to sit still while Carlisle and Jasper pleaded with her to let them help was pure agony. He wanted desperately to give her some sort of assurance that she would be alright but he was too upset to form words. It was only when she left with Esme that he finally found his voice.   
"Carlisle, Jasper. I want you to promise me that you will do everything I'm your power to help her. Even if you have to make some decisions she may not be happy about. Do whatever you can to keep her alive." He all but growled at the two men.

Carlisle looked slightly ashamed, "I cannot believe I didn't see the signs before." 

Jasper put an assuring hand on his shoulder, "you couldn't have known. She hides her pain very well and with all the excitement that's been happening the past few days it isn't as if we were looking for any warning signs. I think we've all been a tad self-obsessed lately and we could use a little perspective." Jasper's words did little to ease Edward's worries.   
Sensing his residual anger, Jasper turned his attention towards his brother, "I promise you, brother, nothing will happen to her. We will protect her as one of our own. She's family."  
Carlisle gave them a curious glance and Edward chose to voice the unsaid truth that had been welling up since the moment Morticia stepped foot in his life.  
"She's my mate, Carlisle... I don't know how Bella Swan fits into all of this but I know what I feel. Morticia is the woman I was meant to be with and I don't know what I'd do if I lost her now before we even had a chance."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this was a little dark, but I wanted to give Morticia a more detailed and realistic background. Even though this story is about fantastical vampires, I wanted there to be a sense of realism and humanity to the story.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morticia has her first therapy session with Jasper and notices that Edward is acting weirder than usual. This may have a more monologue feel to it but it's still vital to Morticia's character so enjoy!

(Morticia pov)

Morticia wished that she could say the rest of the evening was much more peaceful, but that didn't happen. It was as if her revelation had put a new perspective on her in the Cullen's eyes and now she was on the receiving end of pity stares. 

In her head, she knew they meant well and weren't trying to make her feel singled out but at the moment she felt like she was the main attraction at the zoo, a shiny new animal to gawk at. 

They clearly had more questions, if Alice's pacing told her anything. Even the little pixie could make something as mundane as pacing, look like it could belong on a runway. She could also tell from Rosalie and Esme's not so subtle glances that they were unsure how to proceed in conversation.

Morticia sighed and tossed the magazine she was reading to the side. "Alright, ladies. I can practically hear your brains whirling so just ask. I know you all must have questions."

Esme looked sheepish while Rose looked impressed at her bluntness. It was Esme who took her up on her offer. 

"Morticia, dear, could you tell us how this all started? I mean- if you want to of course." Her soothing voice made Morticia nearly spill all her secrets right then, but she knew that was Jasper's territory.

"Can I start off by saying that my story isn't as tragic or horrible as my body makes it seem. My body right now reflects me at age 17 for some unknown reason, which was the worst time for me mentally. My habits didn't start until nearly the end of my 16th year but they were quickly escalating in my 17th. At 20 I wasn't perfectly cured and frankly, I don't think any amount of therapy will cure me indefinitely. I'm sorry you have to see me like this, but I really have gotten better, slightly." She winced, remembering how many times she had skipped lunch or breakfast since coming here.

'We can't relapse back into that.' She chided herself, 'Think about how far we've come through this.'

Rosalie, in a surprising show of affection, grasped Morticia's hand and gave her a reassuring smile. "I feel I need to apologize...I severely misjudged you. You are by far stronger than any human I've ever met and I thought you-" She cut herself off and glanced at the floor in shame.

Morticia chuckled and knew this was probably very hard for Rosalie to admit. "You thought I was a little human that was a threat to your family, it's alright. For the most part, you can never be sure with high school girls so I get where you were coming from. Don't worry about it, Rosalie, we're cool." 

Rosalie gave her another smile, "please, everyone in the family calls me Rose. I think you've done enough to earn that." Both girls were thrown into slight giggles.

It was Alice who eventually brought the two back to the conversation, "You said habits...what did you mean by that."

Morticia sighed as she thought back to all the little, 'habits' she had acquired since her days in high school. 

"They started small. I would just run a lot- sometimes for hours on end. Then it escalated when I started counting how many calories I was eating and how many carbs I had. Slowly and slowly I began to cut meals down and eventually, it got to the point where I would only eat maybe once or twice a day with very heavy protein meals but I still ran constantly. In fact, this is the longest that I've ever gone without exercising in some way, huh, I didn't realize how much I missed it."

Her running shoes had become her safety blanket. Whenever she felt stressed or anxious she ran, if she couldn't sleep, she ran. Realizing how much she relied on them made her shudder slightly. She knew it was a bad thought but she really wished she could go for a run right about now. The endorphins may give her some clarity about how the hell to handle the Cullens knowing about her 'condition.'

Esme broke her out of her thoughts, "Oh, honey, can we ask why you would do that to yourself? Did anybody notice?" 

Morticia smiled ruefully, "High school is a horrible time for any teenager, especially for their mental health. It all started with a comment. That comment festered until I chose to do things that may not have been entirely smart, but I did them anyway. Everybody around me just thought that I was doing it to get healthy or to cope with the stress of school. They weren't wrong, I did start out trying to be healthier....then it took a dark turn. It wasn't until I had gone too far that anybody noticed."

The room became much more sullen and it royally pissed Morticia off. She didn't want to sit here and be pitied or coddled like a child. She was a grown-ass woman for fuck's sake!

"Ok, look. I get that I am a very tragic case but believe me, I've seen worse. So, please don't get hung up on me and my issues. You heard Carlisle and Jasper, I'll get into a routine with them and it will be as if this never happened. So can we please just drop it...I can't believe I'm actually saying this Alice, but I could use some happy pixie energy if you're up for it."

Alice visibly brightened at her suggestion and it was as if the last few hours hadn't happened, thank god. Morticia would gladly listen to Alice and Rose argue over which is a better nail color- ruby red or scarlet, than focus on her inner demons. 

She never really had girlfriends or rater, she never had girlfriends who didn't turn on her in some way, so being able to pretend-even for a moment- that she wasn't alone, was worth more to Morticia than any dream she could've thought up.

The rest of the night was filled with giggles, glitter, and of course gossip. Not the gossip that you would expect though. The Cullen women decided that it would be the best time to dish on their spouses, much to Morticia's encouragement.

"Wait, wait. Esme, are you telling me that Dr. Cullen, AKA Dr. Mcdreamy Fang....uses his English accent...IN THE BEDROOM?!!" Morticia choked out scandalized.

Esme ducked her head slightly, "well, it's hard to get rid of it completely. He has lived in America for so long.." She tried to backpedal but Morticia was not having that.

"Hold the fuck up, you can't just drop a bombshell like that on us and then just try to logistically explain that he lets it slip because he's distracted by his gorgeous wife. I applaud the effort but no. Not happening." She deadpanned with an arched brow.

"Oh, dear." Esme said in a flushed voice, "I really hope the boys went on their hunt early."

"It isn't as if they haven't heard worse, Esme!" Rosalie chirped from the black chaise lounge. "There's no privacy in this family, so everybody already knew it."

All women burst into giggles at the thought. 

"Besides, the boys have no room to make fun. Jasper loves to play cowboy. He even has a hat and everything and we all know how Emmet can be, right Rose." Alice said, throwing a glance at her sister. 

Morticia was quick to cut off Rose before she could traumatize her with ay of Emmett's...uh, preferences.

"Ok, please, I do not need to hear about whatever perverted things go through your mate's heads." She said with a visible shudder.

Rose turned to give her a questionable gaze, "Hmm, well I guess you would only be interested in one male vampire's perversions, then, wouldn't you. Perhaps one with a certain musical talent."

'What the hell is she getting at...Is she? No, she couldn't think that.' Morticia rationalized.

Morticia's features must have betrayed her worry as Esme was quick to chide Rose for making the remark.

"Rosalie, that isn't nice. Don't tease her so."

"Don't worry Esme, I'm sure Rose was just playing. We all know Edward wouldn't be caught alive in any position like that with me." Rosalie and Alice didn't look too sure but Esme gave her a reassuring smile and they let the conversation drop.

'I wonder what brought that from Rosalie? First Tony, now Edward's sister? What the hell, people.' Morticia grumbled to herself as she tried to steer the conversation away from any subject of Romance, what so ever. 

'I may be a hopeless romantic, but I do have standards...and I refuse to be anybody's second choice.' She told herself adamantly as she let out a tiny yawn.

"As much fun as this is, I think it's time for the human to sleep. Don't stop on my account, but if you hear any snoring...it wasn't me." Morticia called out as she turned down the bedding.

"Have a good night dear, we'll see you in the morning. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call." Esme's soothing voice was the last thing Morticia heard before she drifted off into her dream.

~~~~~Dream~~~~~

This may be her most vivid dream yet. The striking detail made Morticia do a double-take. She immediately recognized the landscape. She was standing in some sort of castle that was straight out of a Disney film. Sleeping beauty to be exact. It was one of Morticia's favorites. The artwork and attention to the background detail always intrigued her, as well as the vibrant color pallet.

However, not all was as it appeared. Rather than Briar Rose laying on the bed, Morticia saw herself! 

her short platinum blonde waves were a vivid contrast to the deep plum sheets that lined the bed. Her pale skin seemed to glow against the dark backdrop, almost in an ethereal way. 

Gone was the blue dress and tiara, instead, Morticia was dressed in a long, graceful, ebony evening gown and her lips were dressed in scarlet. If she hadn't seen her chest moving, she'd almost think of herself as a corpse. 

'Why am I dreaming of myself, sleeping? Talk about an out of body experience.' She thought as she glanced around the room, hoping to find some clues.

As she was turned to look out the window, she heard a commotion by the door. Thinking fast, she hid behind the long, heavy curtains. She just barely had time to camouflage herself before the door burst open and a tall figure entered the room.

"Where is she?! Where is Morticia? I have to see her." She recognized Edward's voice immediately.

'Edward, what is he doing in my 'princess' dream?' She thought as she took a chance to peek out from behind the curtain.

Sure enough, Edward was kneeling at her bedside in all his glory. He was dressed in period type clothing, but it was slightly more modern.

'Odd. He seems like the type to go full cosplay for any occasion to stay true to history.' She thought with a chuckle.

"Oh, my love. Why did you do this to yourself? Cursing yourself to save me, how could I be so foolish to think you not selfless enough to do such a thing? Your love knows no bounds, but hopefully, my love is enough to reverse this wretched spell you've been placed under. You still have to keep your promise and marry me, milady, we can't forget that." His voice was full of tears as he tried to laugh slightly.

Moving gently, he moved closer to her comatose form. She knew she should be freaked out since she knew the origins of the Grimm fairytale version of this story, but she had a feeling that even dream Edward was going to be virtuous. 

Edward moved slowly over the sleeping woman and just before his lips were to touch hers, he whispered "please don't leave me. I love you,' then pressed his lips to hers. It was the most gentle of kisses she had ever seen and it made Morticia's heart flutter.

Typical of a Disney film, after their lips parted, the room became visibly lighter and the sleeping woman's eyes gently fluttered open. When they settled on the man above her, she smiled a blinding smile. "You found me, my love!" She breathed before throwing herself towards him.

Watching their embrace did nothing to ease Morticia's growing worry about her relationship with her Edward not in dreamland. Seeing herself so unconditionally happy and full of love was almost a sucker-punch to the gut. 

'Whoever is controlling these dreams must have some sick sense of humor.' she thought glumly as the scene in front of her suddenly changed to black.

" Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times. When one only remembers to turn on the light..." That same ominous voice called out to her.

"Did you just fucking quote Dumbledore at me?" She called back. "What the hell does that mean."

"There are those that would wish to take your happiness from you, but hold true and you shall not stray from your destined path." The voice faded out as she sensed herself coming back to consciousness.

'Great now I'm dreaming in riddles, fairytales, and fucking Harry Potter quotes. What the fuck has my life come to?' was the thought that greeted her as she woke to the early rays of sun pouring through the large windows of the room.

The memories from the previous night came rushing back to her and she suddenly wanted to crawl back into bed and never come out. 

'I can live as a hermit. Who needs social interaction, I'm fine.' She told herself as she moved to do just that.

"If you try to stay in that bed all day, I will come up there and drag you out myself." Alice's voice floated through the door.

"Damn Pixie." She growled as she threw back her covers and quickly ran to the bathroom to have her human time. 

Taking a glance at the dreaded mirror, she looked herself straight in the eye and said, "You are strong and you can do this. You're Morticia fucking Addams." 

Happy with her little pep talk, she took some extra time to pamper herself that morning. She was pulling all the stops, doing her makeup, and taking time to pick out the outfit she felt most confident in. She chose a 2 piece black and green checkered skirt/top set with tights and her platform mary janes. 

With one last glance in the mirror, "let's do this," she said softly before heading down the stairs. She nearly made it to the bottom step when she heard the famous notes of Tchaikovsky's sleeping beauty float from the living room.

'You can't be serious. Did I talk in my sleep? Please tell me I didn't.' She panicked as she followed the sound to find Edward seated at his piano that she noticed looked slightly worse for wear. Much different than what she had seen the night previous. 

hearing her entrance, Edward abruptly stopped and stood from the piano. 

"Oh, please, continue. I didn't mean to make you stop." She said timidly as she approached the piano. She was really unsettled about how to approach him now. He seemed so angry last night, she was worried that she would upset him worse today.

"No. Forgive me. I didn't mean to wake you up with my playing." He seemed almost nervous as his hands flexed, obviously wanting to continue the piece.

Morticia chuckled, "Edward, I'd find it a blessing to wake up to your playing instead of my alarm clock every morning."

He shifted slightly and she motioned him to sit back down at the bench. "Was that sleeping beauty? Tchaikovsky?" She asked as she sat down beside him.

He seemed somewhat shocked at her recognition, "Yes, but I thought that you didn't listen to classical music. If I recall you prefer rock n roll." The fact that he remembered her musical preferences made her blush slightly. 

"Yes, I don't normally listen to classical but I can recognize my favorite film score when I hear it. Don't start quizzing me on Mozart just yet." She chuckled as his fingers began to dance on the keys once more.

"Ah, may I ask why Sleeping Beauty? What made you chose her as your favorite?" He asked as the tempo changed slightly to a more cheerful melody.

Morticia thought for a moment, why did she really prefer Sleeping Beauty? 

"Well, not to say that I'm a princess by any means but I feel that I can relate to Briar Rose on some levels. She was an innocent girl that had her life uprooted and when she finally thought that she could settle down with a man she planned to pursue, life knocked her on her ass. Not to say that I want a man to come to my rescue after I get into a fight with an evil faerie, but you get the idea. Maleficent is relatable in some ways too. She felt excluded from the kingdom because she was different from the rest of them. They shunned her and for that, she lashed out on an innocent child- making her appear as a villain. But, maybe she wasn't a villain at all but maybe she just finally had enough of being an outcast. Actually I think I relate to Maleficent the most, is that crazy?" She took a glance at his reaction and saw that he was looking at her with a sense of astonishment.

"I've never heard it described like that. Most people would just argue that they wanted to find their one true love who was a handsome prince and ride off into the sunset. That's the cliche that most people tend to prefer, anyways." He told her softly as his eyes roamed over her face.

"But you aren't like other people, are you, Morticia Addams." He concluded with a sense of realization that made her smile brightly.

"No, I most certainly am not. I think had I lived in those days, I probably would've been burned for being either a witch or possessed by demons for my 'devil's tongue.' Funny how times have changed yet some people still yearn for the romanticism of previous centuries." The thought made her smile become brighter, if possible.

Edward chuckled and took her hand from where it was lying across her lap. He brought it to her mouth and placed a gentle kiss upon her knuckles. Morticia was sure her heartbeat stopped.

His eyes met hers when he pulled back slightly, and she suddenly felt as if she were a deer caught in a predator's gaze. 

"Then allow me the honor of escorting milady to her breakfast table," he said lowly as he rose gracefully and brought her to stand with him.

'holy shit, have him call me milady one more time in that tone and I think I might spontaneously combust right here.' She had to quickly shake herself as she could feel her legs turning to jelly as he continued to give her that same intense look.

He tucked her arm into his elbow and gracefully guided her into the direction of the kitchen. "I don't want you to be alarmed but Esme wasn't sure what you liked so she fixed a bit of everything. She hasn't cooked a meal for a human, so we aren't sure what anything will taste like." He said as they approached the entrance to the surprisingly spacious kitchen.

The breakfast before her was one befitting an entire army rather than one human girl alone. Esme had prepared everything from eggs to pancakes, waffles, to wait were those beignets? 

'Edward really wasn't kidding.' She could feel her anxiety creeping up on her and squeezed Edward's elbow slightly. He leaned down gently and whispered softly into her ear, "just go slow and don't feel like you have to eat anything you don't want to. Whatever you don't eat will be donated to local shelters or the hospital."

That soothed her anxiety slightly but the idea of being under their watchful gaze while she ate made her stomach turn in knots. She quickly grabbed the smallest plate she could, another habit she picked up, and began to portion herself some eggs and toast. 

She knew they probably wanted her to take more but with her nervousness, she didn't want to risk a vomit situation. They'd already seen her near mental breakdown, no need to add any more ammo. 

She quietly sat on a stool by the island and turned her gaze towards the other vampires in the room. The entire clan was here, including Jaser, who gave her an encouraging smile.

Taking a tiny bite, "This tastes great Esme, but I'm sure it doesn't compare to Emmett's grizzly." 

Emmett's booming laughter nearly caused her to drop her plate. The vampire in question chose to flash to the stool beside her and threw his arm over her shoulder.

"She's got some bite to her, I say we keep her. Then maybe I can show you what real food tastes like." He said, wiggling his eyebrows, causing Morticia to giggle and cover her mouth with a napkin.

She was sure Emmett would've stayed where he was if not for a noise that drew his attention. It seemed like it was coming from where Edward was standing. The two boys had a staring contest for what felt like ages before Emmet broke she silence by moving his arm and patting her on the head. "Just know we're always here little sis," he said cryptically before he flashed back to Rosalie's side. 

'Well, that was odd as hell. What just happened between him and his brother? Did I just witness the vampire version of a pissing contest?' She thought as Edward moved to take the place that Emmett had just vacated. 

She continued eating her eggs and toast when she noticed the other vampires in the room seemed to be having the same intense glare with Edward. Morticia really hated not being clued in on this freaky vampire secret language. Obviously they were talking too fast to hear and were sending Edward their thoughts, that she could tell. But this was obviously about her since the rest of the family were sending her concerned looks very quickly, trying not to get caught.

"Ya know, talking about the human, even with fast vampire talk, is still kinda rude." She said over her shoulder as she began washing her dirty dishes and set them to dry.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Edward move to follow her around the counter. 

'What's with him following me around all of a sudden? Was there another revelation that I wasn't clued in on after my huge blowout from last night?' She thought as she turned her gaze to the other vamps in the room.

Carlisle and Esme looked sheepish while Rose and Emmett looked proud for some reason. Jasper looked like he was waiting for a pipe bomb to explode, and Alice just looked like her cheerful self.

"It's nothing, they were just wondering how to begin your sessions and Emmett was being obnoxious as usual." Edward's silky voice purred next to her ear. She turned slightly and was shocked to see just how close he was to her face. she'd only need to lean in slightly to kiss him.

'Nope, bad thought. stop.' She forced herself to lean back slightly, "So, what? You had a pissing contest with your brother because why? You wanted first dibs on who gets to escort me to therapy with Jasper? Sorry but I think I can manage that by myself. Thanks."

She quickly backed up and turned to Jasper, "Can we have our first session now? I could really use an emotional detox at the moment. Someplace open preferably."

Jasper gave her an understanding look and nodded, "Of course ma'am. Meet me on the back porch, the others will make themselves scarce I'm sure." He threw a pointed glance over her shoulder and she hurried out the back door. 

As soon as the cool wind blew across her face and her senses filled with the scent of the familiar forest, she instantly calmed. Long walks in the forest always seemed to clear her mind. The ambiance always seemed to make her feel a sense of peace. 

The door opened behind her after a few minutes and she could feel Jasper's gaze on her back.

"You don't have to worry, I'm not going to fall to pieces once we start talking. So quit walking on eggshells. "

Jasper took calculated steps and joined her by the railing. 

"I would never say that you were weak but this is a delicate situation, Ma'am and I made a promise to be ever the southern gentleman." His drawn-out accent made Morticia laugh.

"You totally know I was fucking with you and Carlisle. I have no desire to hear him speak with an English accent now that I know of his and Esme's bedroom activities." She shuddered at the memory. 

Jasper breathed a chuckle and moved to sit on the rocking chairs to their left. Morticia followed suit and pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. It wasn't the easiest feat to accomplish but it made her feel safer knowing where the conversation was headed. 

After she got settled she immediately knew Jasper was completely in his professional persona. 

"Let's begin with something you feel comfortable talking about, ok? What was your childhood like? Any memories that stand out?"

There was one, "My birthdays. That was the day where I could be as weird as I wanted and nobody second-guessed me, my parents and Damon were so supportive of any theme I had for a party."

"So, your parents...were they loving? How did they treat you and Damon?"

"Of course they were loving. It was hard at times, with scheduling and things but we made it work. Mom had to spend long nights working and so did Dad. When I was old enough I decided to take care of Damon so they could have a break."

"How much younger is Damon to you?"

"He's four years younger."

"And how did you feel when he was born, did you get along?"

"I was so happy when he was born. I even refused to let my mom nurse him one night because I wanted to hold him. He's my best friend, we did everything together. Yeah, we fought at times because that's what siblings do, but we always worked it out- usually with a movie and popcorn." 

"At any time in your childhood, can you remember having any inkling of body confidence issues? I know this is hard but we need to start digging into those roots, but if it's too much just say...hmmm 'pineapple' and we will end this for the day. That'll be our code word: pineapple." 

Morticia got lost in her thoughts for a moment. "You know, I want to say that I never had any issues and that suddenly it just appeared one day, but I think that I was always finding things to pick at about myself. I never really noticed until I was maybe eight or nine years old. I realized that I didn't look like the other girls in my class, but I never had the idea to change until I hit middle school."

"And your parents? Do you feel that they ever pressured you to look a certain way?"

"God no. Not physically anyway. I didn't hone in on the dark aesthetic until my junior year of high school- or this year I suppose- and my parents probably preferred my bubbly princess personality."

"What made you decide to change your style, did it have to do with the anorexia or the body dysmorphia?"

Hearing him say it so bluntly made her cringe slightly. He noticed her response and was quick to try to calm her down, but not with his powers.

"We can stop if you want."

"No, I need to face this. It took way too long for me to admit it in my own time, so it should be slightly easier now." She paused to take a deep breath. "When I was in high school my first go around, I made some friends with some not so nice people. At the time I thought they hung the moon, but I quickly learned that they were very different from who I thought they were. I was friends with this group of girls from freshman year all the way until my junior year. I won't lie, I was vastly overweight in my freshman year of high school and had horrible self-confidence, I see that now. Rather than loving myself for who I was I let other people tell me how I should look and let them shame me into hating myself.

Looking back, I think they also hated certain parts of themselves and they chose to pick on the bubbly girl who tried to make friends with everyone. I had such a different outlook on life before I met those people and before we had a few deaths in the family. I think my mental spiral was already on a decline but it became worse when I entered high school. My style slowly evolved over the next few years, but it really stuck once I had my 'friends' tell me that I was too fat to be Morticia Addams and that my parents must be so disappointed to have such an ugly daughter named after such an iconic beautiful woman." Tears began to swim in her vision and Jasper moved to place a hand on her shoulder but she waved him off. She knew this was going to be difficult enough as is, she didn't need to make him struggle too.

"I knew then and there that I had to change. I stopped eating any bread or carbs in general and only ate meats and protein, plus I ran for miles every single day. Which didn't seem like such a bad idea but once I noticed those numbers dropping so fast, I just couldn't stop. I went from eating 1,000 calorie meals down to about 600 and lost about 60 lbs in 3 months. It was very dangerous to my health but I kept it hidden with baggy clothes so nobody knew. It wasn't until the last week of junior year that my perfect little bubble was really popped. 

We had this annual end of school year barbeque that was hosted by the current seniors. I decided against my better judgment to go with the friends who had called me those awful names. I really hadn't perfected my confidence yet. Anyway, we had to change in this locker room since everybody was going out on the lake and for some reason, I decided to wear a bikini. I thought, 'I'm gonna show them how much progress I've made, and maybe then they'll like me again.' That was a load of bullshit. I wish I could go back and slap my self silly for trusting those assholes. 

As soon as I stepped out in my bikini, all eyes were on me and not in a good way. People were looking at me in disgust, pointing, whispering behind their hands. It wasn't until the next day in class that I found out that they were disgusted at me and the way I looked. Some of them approached me and asked me if I wanted to kill myself while others just shuddered when I walked by. 

To top it off those bitches set up cameras in the locker room and took photos of me changing and sent them to everybody at school and labeled them 'the walking corpse.' I was humiliated and I knew that I had disfigured myself to appease people that treated me like dirt and I was worried that I couldn't come back from it. 

Eventually, my parents found out about the photos and got me into a rehab facility where I spent the majority of my senior year. Thankfully I never had to see those bitches ever again and the whole situation actually made me and my family even closer. After I recovered enough, I decided that I still wanted to prove to those narcissistic manipulative bitches that I was beautiful and I could be a bombshell, Morticia Addams, if I wanted to, so I started dressing in black clothes and doing my makeup more sultry and even began wearing more dresses and skirts-which used to terrify me.....So I guess you can say, yeah, my change in style was a result of my mental illness but I also a way to show that I'm a survivor."

Jasper was silent for a few moments before speaking, "I can't tell me how much it pains me to hear what you've gone through and not be able to send you at least some sort of comfort. Many people who have gone what you've gone through....they usually don't make it. You should be proud."

Morticia gave a wet laugh, "Yeah, there were a few close calls in rehab where my weight was so low but believe me when I say that I may have the body of my 17-year-old self who was emotionally unstable and had a terrible eating disorder, but mentally I'm a 20-year-old badass who has seen some shit and will cut a bitch if she gets in her way." 

Her statement sent Jasper into a laughing fit and it made Morticia happy to know that she lightened the mood just a tad.

Sighing, she moved to stand and stretch her limbs. It felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She hadn't told anybody what she'd gone through since she was 17 almost 18 years old and refused to bring it up since. It felt good to let loose all those bottled up feelings, especially to the southern empath. 

It was so much easier talking to Jasper than any assigned shrink she had back home. His presence made her feel safe and protected but calming at the same time. 

Turning back to him she said, "Hey you can call the cavalry back in. I promise I won't go psycho if Alice tries to barge into the bathroom next time, and I'll even give you a five-star review on yelp for your amazing service today."

Jasper shook his head and joined her by the railing, "You're stronger than you give yourself credit for. You stood up to Edward the first day you met him and bossed us around like tin soldiers. Every day you manage to catch one of us off guard with somethin' and you have no idea how fun that is for us repetitive vampires! Ever since you've arrived this family has laughed more than we have in fifty years, I'd say! You may not see it yet, but you are important to this family and we would do anything to protect our own, Morticia. Look, I know you think you have to keep your feelings bottled up since you're in a family of vampires who know nothin' about privacy, but if you ever need to vent to this ole cowboy, just give me a holler and I'll send everyone else packin'." And with a wink, he flashed back inside the house, leaving Morticia alone to her thoughts once more. 

'Could I seriously make a life here?' She had already resigned herself to the fact that she may never see her family again but did the Cullens really intend to keep her around after Bella arrived? How the hell was she supposed to fit into Stephenie's narrative?

She glanced out over the relaxing scenery for what felt like ages before her thoughts were interrupted as the back door was quickly thrown open and she turned to greet a frantic looking Edward Cullen.

He looked as if he had just run his fingers through his hair multiple times and yet that 'just fucked' look was really goin' for him and made her fingers itch to do the same.

His eyes were panicked as they met hers and he took a pause before filling her in on the news,

"It's Alice, she had a vision, a decision changed...Bella is arriving tomorrow night. She'll be attending school with us Monday morning." 

'What. the. ever. loving. HELL!!!' Morticia was sure that if this had been a comedy, she would've fainted or something dumb like that. But instead, the opted to go the less damsel route and just shout, "ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW," before storming inside the house.

'I can never seem to catch a fucking break in this damn universe.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now does the title make sense? Also, what caused Bella to suddenly decide to come to Forks....Weeks ahead of schedule?


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The gang has to make a game plan for dealing with Bella's impending arrival, starting with....The WOLVES.

~~~Flashback~~~

His eyes were panicked as they met hers and he took a pause before filling her in on the news,

"It's Alice, she had a vision, a decision changed...Bella is arriving tomorrow night. She'll be attending school with us Monday morning."

'What. the. ever. loving. HELL!!!' Morticia was sure that if this had been a comedy, she would've fainted or something dumb like that. But instead, the opted to go the less damsel route and just shout, "ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW," before storming inside the house.

(Morticia Pov)

Morticia stormed into the living room as fast as humanly possible and immediately set her gaze on a frantic Alice pacing in front of the sofa.

"Morticia, I'm so sorry I didn't see it sooner-"

She quickly cut the pixie off, shaking her head, "That doesn't matter. It wasn't your fault if she just suddenly decided to move. You couldn't have known. What we really need to worry about is how we're going to handle this new curveball. In the books, she wasn't supposed to be here for another seven months. So rather than having that time to prepare we have less than 48 hours, great. I'm open to any suggestions for a solution."

She saw Rosalie move to raise her hand and Morticia's gaze hardened, "Any suggestions that don't involve killing or maiming said human." The hand quickly went down.

'typical' she groaned.

She let out a sigh, glancing around the room. Morticia had only been here for a short time so excuse her for not wanting to have to pull all the weight around here. If she knew all the answers she would gladly go buy a lottery ticket tomorrow but those odds weren't in her favor.

It was Esme who answered her silent prayers. "Well, I don't really believe there is any reason for us to worry. From what you've told us about the books, Edward had enough restraint the first day to not attack the girl and he has been acclimating himself to your scent since you arrived- his other singer- so I see no problem why this should be any different."

Morticia thought through Esme's suggestion, "But what if Bella's scent is more potent than mine. I'd hate to make Edward brave both mine and Bella's scent at the same time. Maybe I should call in sick on the day she's due to arrive if Alice can get a clear image of when that is."

From beside her Edward's frame became even more rigid, "No. I refuse to have to endure Bella's scent without you to distract me. If you aren't there I am sure there will be a catastrophe."

He did have a valid point. She did seem to get Edward's mind distracted when she got him into her witty banter matches. But she still didn't like the idea of putting him through any more turmoil than he was already going to have to endure.

"Fine. I'll go and play the little blonde distraction so that you don't kill your future wifey, but you better be able to give me a five-minute head start in case shit hits the fan so I can come up with a cover story." 

Her response pulled very shocked glances from the other coven members, especially the brooding male to her left. 

"What? You're a teenage boy, not a saint. If you make a mistake, so what? Just give me some leeway to fix it. Anyway, another thing to worry about, which I hope isn't true- Bella is super nosy. After Jessica spills your epic story she's gonna get curious."

Rosalie's hand shot up again, "Again, we are not eliminating her before she has a chance to defend herself." The blonde vampire looked down with a frown.

"How exactly did Bella find out about us in the novel?" Carlisle questioned.

'oh shit the wolves.' She winced as she knew what she had to do.

"Bella got friendly with a Quileute boy named Jacob Black. He talked to her and told her about his tribe's legends, ones that included 'the cold ones.' I've met him and we seem to be pretty good friends so I have no doubt that I could weasel it out of him too. In fact, Tony mentioned something about a bonfire that we were invited to so maybe I can go and talk to the tribe elders and let it slip that I know about the legends." 

She decided to leave out the part about the shapeshifting boys, as she knew that would probably not go over well with the vampires present. 

Carlisle looked slightly irritated, "I can't believe they are spreading those legends so flippantly. If anybody else got ahold of them..."

"In Jacob's defense, I think they were telling the children the stories to scare them. Also, Bella did a bad but accurate job of flirting with him to get the story from him. So blame his hormones if anything. But that wasn't the only way she came to find out about you guys. Eddie boy was giving off some pretty clear red flags. I.e. Staring at her like a creep, having ice-cold skin, flashing by her car, and showing off his mind-reading skills."

She turned a knowing gaze to the telepath, "So don't show off or be a creepy stalker and she shouldn't be the wiser."

Esme gave her a concerned glance, "Morticia dear, you know we can't cross the treaty line. If they know you've been associating with us, they may see you as a threat."

Jasper stood straighter at her inference, "Do you think they would hurt her and risk compromising the treaty?

Esme looked down, almost shamefully. "No, of course, not. I was just worrying- think nothing of it."

Her motherly instincts made Morticia smile, "Esme I appreciate your concern, but I'm a big girl who can take care of herself. Besides, If any of them decides to get fresh I'm sure Tony will let me borrow his taser. I promise not to get myself into too much trouble, but I may need to make a statement if they're going to take me seriously. The wolves need to know who is spilling their secrets and how big of a risk that causes for you and them."

"WOLVES?!" The rest of the room shrieked and the magnitude caused the windows to vibrate.

'oops. Really meant to keep that under wraps for a tad longer.' She thought meekly.

"Did I forget to mention that you guys moving back here triggered some of the boy's genes? That and the nomads that will be going through here soon cause quite a few of them to turn and even Jacob black- grandson of Ephriam Black triggers his gene at some point." 

She tried to be nonchalant about the situation, but that just seemed to make it worse.

"There is no way you are crossing the treaty line unprotected with those wolves!" Edward roared and she matched gazes with him.

'Oh hell no!!Reign in that ego glitter boy!' She immediately planned to shut down that path he was heading down.

"You aren't going to tell me what I am or am not doing, Edward. The wolves need to know that their stories are being leaked and they could also benefit from a better relationship with you guys. If I have to be the fucking olive branch then so be it. I am not letting your misogyny and possessive, egotistical tendencies fuck up this idea!" Her voice was eerily calm but voiced quite a threat that made the other vampires in the room go still, waiting for the explosion. 

Edward seemed taken back but was smart and kept his mouth shut, very much resembling a pouting child. If Morticia were weak, the image may have made her smile, but she was set in her resolve.

"Look, think of it this way. If I go by myself, I will be seen as less threatening. If you guys go breaking the treaty to save my ass then there won't be any way that they will agree to make amendments to the treaty."

Carlisle stared at her intrigued, "Amendments? What amendments need to be made?"

Morticia broke her intense stare with Edward and turned to the Cullen patriarch.

"You guys made that thing how many years ago? You really expect those same principles to apply to the here and now? What if there were to say a vampire army rage the town, do you have any clause that states a time of peace so you both can work together? What about a clause to tell you od any new threats in the area? Have you guys even set up some system to communicate?"

'Way to be subtle about Victoria.' She groaned to herself, but hopefully, it wouldn't come to that if she could stop it. 

Carlisle looked amazed and also slightly forlorn that he had let the treaty go for so long without such amenities.

Morticia rolled her eyes at the obvious display of stupidity and stubbornness. 

"Ok. So, as I was saying before Edward decided to have his temper tantrum, I will use my womanly wiles to get Jacob to spill the beans and then convince the wolves that they need to amend their treaty unless they want you to come after them for breaking it since I'm pretty sure that you all weren't stupid enough not to include a 'null and void' clause if somebody squealed. Any questions? No. Fabulous, I'll tell Tony tonight and let him know the great news." 

All the vampires present seemed frozen in time, each with their own varying looks of amazement and confusion.

It was Emmett's booming laughter that made the others finally react.

"Who would've thought, the human is braver than the vampires?!" If he could have tears running down his face, Morticia could easily picture it with the way his face contorted with his laughter.

"She's ready to face the wolves one on one all because we didn't think to check in once in a while. Damn. I'm proud, little sister. You've got balls." 

Morticia ignored the 'little sister' comment but gave him a sinister smile, "You're damn straight I do. This is why I need to go home and prepare for how the hell I'm going to convince Jacob Black to tell me all about his tribe's dirty secrets."

Alice gave her a winning smile and shot a quick glance to a still fuming Edward. "I think if you wear that lacy black dress you have in the back of your closet with your thigh high boots might do the trick."

She could tell by Edward's furious expression that it was most definitely the right option. 

"Alice, have I told you how much I love you lately, because you may need to watch out. If you keep giving me advice like that Jasper may have some competition." She told the pixie vampire with a wink. Jasper jokingly put his arm protectively around his wife and pulled her closer to him, as if threatened.

Morticia threw her hands up in a surrender gesture, "Yeah I can't split up an endgame couple like Jalice. Even I'm not that big of a bitch." 

The rest of her day with the Cullen family was actually, a lot of fun. Other than Edward blatantly pouting and trying to catch her gaze so he could guilt her out of going to the reservation. Not sad to say, he was sorely disappointed because she blatantly ignored his attempts and focused all her attention at beating Emmett at every game he tried to play her at. Especially, Dance Dance Revolution.

"How the hell are you getting such a high score? You aren't even using the right moves?" Emmett shrieked as she got another perfect score for that round.

"I don't know what to tell you brother bear....it's all in the hips!" She sang, doing some moves that could make a belly dancer jealous. 

Emmett growled and tried to step up his game...but failed miserably, causing Morticia to win the final round.

"This isn't over. Next time you come over, I am determined to beat you at something!" He growled out as she practically floated down the stairs.

"Oh, Emmett, sweet sweet Emmett. Just because you aren't the best dancer doesn't mean you aren't good at other things....... Like...Oh, what did Rose tell me last night?.... Oh, that's right.. you are so good at hitting....balls! Baseballs, that's it! See, you're good at something." She said teasingly as everybody burst out laughing, even Rosalie. 

Emmett looked at her with a proud look, "I have to admit, that was good wordplay. Nice job little sis."

Morticia gave him a 'bear hug' before moving to do the same to the remaining vampires. 

"Please come back anytime, we enjoyed you so much," Esme whispered to her as she gave her a slight squeeze.

"Of course, I will. Thank you for having me, I did enjoy my stay!" 

Esme looked slightly worried.

"Seriously, I did. Alice promised me a real slumber party experience and what's a slumber party without a little emotional unpacking?! That's like rule number one of slumber party etiquette, always be prepared to emotionally unload all your problems onto other guests!" She said with a laugh, making Esme smile.

She turned to Edward last.

"Look I know you are still pissed about the idea of me going behind enemy lines, but you seriously need to get that frown off your face. We don't need to test if vampires can make their faces freeze or cause wrinkles prematurely."

He didn't seem amused. "Seriously, after my well-crafted commentary, you won't even crack a smile. That is just-"

He cut her off by wrapping his arms around her middle and she could feel him pressing his face into her hair. 

She froze momentarily, unsure if she should move or just let his lapse in sanity go unnoticed.

"If I can't convince you to not go, promise me you'll try to stay as safe as possible- for my sanity please."

Morticia was stunned at his request and after he pulled back slightly, she replied, "Yeah yeah. I'll stay safe so I can be your chaperone for you and your other singer. You don't have to worry about me sacrificing myself to become some wolf's chew toy. I'll be fine."

He looked slightly pained and unconvinced as she turned to leave.

'Why is he so caught up with my safety all of a sudden? What the hell did I miss in the last 24 hours besides the obvious?' 

"Alice, as soon as I get Tony to set up a phone for me I'll let you know when he plans to take me to la push so you can check out for any 'incidents' that may happen. For Eddie's sake." She mocked as she made her way to the door.

"Oh don't worry, I've already got you one in your bag, preprogrammed with all our numbers and everything. I thought it was about time we got you one."

"Of course you did. Why would I think any different? Let me guess, it's the newest model and crazy expensive?" Alice's sheepish look gave her the answer.

"Alice, You know I can't accept that!"

"Think of it as an early birthday present!"

"My birthday isn't until October!"

"...An early, early birthday present?"

"Ugh, fine. I'll let it pass this one time because I know you need me to give you info about the wolves but I swear to god pixie, I am not gonna be your charity case!" 

Alice gave her an affirmative nod, not entirely making Morticia feel too sure about her intentions.

'She is totally gonna turn me into a gothic Barbie if I stay here!' Morticia groaned as she reached for the door handle. 

"Ok, I'm leaving before Alice gets any other groundbreaking visions! Thank you all for an invigorating 24 hours but I need to go recover quietly from my emotional whiplash! Goodbye, all!" With a twirl, she closed the door and flounced down to her car. 

She made it back to Tony's and saw that he was working on his cruiser in the driveway.

"Hey Tony, whatcha doing?" She asked as she unloaded her bag from the trunk.

"Oh, just checking the oil really quick. The forecast is calling for some early frost and I wanna make sure I have everything runnin' smoothly in case I get stuck anywhere. I'll check yours next if you want."

"Yeah, that would be great! Hey, I wanted to ask you about that bonfire down on the reservation, when is that again?"

Tony shut the hood of the car and wiped his hands on a dirty rag.

"It's funny you asked that. Billy just called me and said he decided to move it to tonight. I think he saw the forecast too but I bet it was those boys. They sure love to eat their fill at a bonfire."

'perfect, just perfect.' She thought.

"Hey, I know it's short notice, but can I go?" 

Tony gave her a shocked look, "Uh...sure. I wasn't sure how well you'd wanna go since it's a school night and all."

"Come on uncle Tony. It's only the second week of classes and I already know the intro material. I can basically sleep in my classes and get an A, let me live on the wild side for once."

Tony glanced at her unsure, "Ok... but don't you stay out past 12. And take Caleb with you. I think he wants to hang out with Harry's boy."'

"Sure! Awesome, Thanks uncle Tony!" She quickly kissed his cheek and ran into the house. 

She spotted Caleb watching TV on the couch and tossed a pillow at his head.

"Come on cousin, we have a bonfire to attend. Get ready and let's go!" 

Caleb instantly perked up at the mention of the party.

"Wait, Tony said we can go? Awesome! I can't wait to see Seth!" 

Morticia was sure that if it were possible, there would be a trail of steam behind her cousin as he all but flashed up the stairs.

'He never ceases to make me laugh,' She thought happily as she made her way to the stairs to get herself ready. 

Taking Alice's advice, she chose the short babydoll black lace dress with her black thigh-high boots, layered some silver jewelry, added a puffy headband, and a long gray cardigan for good measure. Her makeup was more simplistic but she added a dark red lip. She wanted to be innocent but also alluring, and who can resist a red lip on a blonde? 

Once she was ready she met Caleb at the front door. He was dressed much nicer than she had ever seen him before. He had on a nice pair of black jeans, a hunter green long sleeve shirt and paired it with some black doc martens. For a jacket, he chose a jean jacket, which she agreed with. her cousin was much too sweet to go for the leather, biker look. 

"So are you ready to see how the cool people of Forks party?" Her cousin asked as they got into the car, waving at Tony through the windshield.

"You're almost 15, what can you possibly teach me about parties that I don't already know?" Morticia shook her head as she put her car in reverse.

'Well....guess we're being thrown to the wolves...I hope they've had all of their shots.' She thought as the landscape began to zoom past them.

(Edward Pov- After Morticia's exit)

Once she finally drove away, he exploded. 

"Alice, you can't seriously think it's a good idea to let her go on her own to talk to those wolves, do you??!" He roared at his sister.

"Calm down, Edward. We all agree that Morticia should convince the wolves to form some kind of...alliance so to speak. We've been disconnected from them for too long. It's time we renew the peace." Carlisle told him, calmly.

Inside, Edward knew they were thinking logically, but the idea of Morticia going across the line alone?! It made him want to pull his hair out. 

"Even so, You're sending an innocent human girl across the treaty line to plead our case, surely you see how wrong that is!" 

"Edward, she volunteered herself," Rosalie told him from her perch on the couch.

"It doesn't matter, she shouldn't be putting herself at risk for us. This is why she should never have gotten involved with us!"

'Brother, are you worried about the idea of her being injured by the wolves or by her possibly finding one of them admirable?' Jasper's thoughts made his nonexistent blood burn.

"Jasper, You know how important she is to me, don't antagonize me." He lowly growled at his brother, causing him to chuckle.

"I just find it funny, is all. You are supposed to fall in love with one human, Bella, only to have another human give you all the tips to get her yet you fall in love with the other human who you also can't read. You have to admit it's oddly comical. And now it's your turn to be on the end of some teasing."

Edward growled as Emmett jumped on Jasper's remark

"Oh, don't be so pissy, bro. I'm sure Jaz and I can give you loads of tips to win over Morticia. You really need to change up your style, dude, because just staring at her moodily may work for Isabella but not our little sis. She's a completely different woman."

He knew his brother's meant well with their teasing, but the image of Morticia smiling at some Quileute boy made his head spin.

'Please let fate not be that cruel.' He prayed quietly. 'Please let me have more than one second of happiness.'

Suddenly Alice's eyes glazed over and her mouth went slack. He knew she was having a vision and he regretted the second she projected it towards him.

'Morticia disappeared? What?! How?' 

"Alice? What the hell was that?" He screamed as his sister shook herself out of her vision.

"I'm not sure, one minute I could see her and Caleb but the next second they were gone! They both just completely vanished."

Before his panic could spread, Alice's phone chirped beside her.

Quickly she rushed to check the message, "It's from Morticia." She sighed and Edward felt the worry lessen a tad.

"She said she's sorry she forgot to mention that she would disappear from my visions once she came in close contact with the wolves and that she is on her way to La push right now with Caleb. Apparently I won't be able to see the wolves in my visions- they're a blind spot for me."

The worry came back full force as Edward processed this information.

"Alice, if you can't see the wolves, then how are we supposed to know if one of them will hurt Morticia?" Emmett posed the obvious question.

"She knew." Edward's response turned all eyes to him.

"She knew they'd be your blind spot but she didn't tell us because she knew I wouldn't let her go without the assurance of your visions, Alice." He continued, his voice becoming more chilling. 

'How could she trick me like this? She promised me she wouldn't let herself get hurt.' His thoughts were broken as Jasper tried to calm him.

"Brother, let's not be hasty. She might have a plan, let's just give her a break. Alice got her a phone so everything will be alright."

"Everything will be alright, really Jasper. Morticia just sent herself to wolf territory without backup and her only companion is her human cousin, but her great weapon is a cell phone?! Quit trying to calm me it won't work. Not until I go and bring her back her and make her see reason!" He made a dash for the door but was intercepted by Emmett.

Emmett had him in a cage grip while Jasper tried to send him some heavy doses of calm energy.

"You need to calm the hell down, little bro. You really think breaking the treaty will help her right now. Remember what she said, she needs the wolves to see her as non-threatening. You rushing in there to pull her out would put a fucking bullseye on her back." 

Edward finally stopped resisting and hung his head.

"I'm sorry, I know I'm acting foolish. I'm just so worried about her. I don't know what I'd do with myself if I lost her after I just got to know her."

'How could a person become the center of my universe so quickly? And to find someone who excites me so? It's almost magical,' He mused.

It was Esme who broke his thoughts. 

"I can tell you what you aren't going to do. You aren't going to go suicidal and break this family apart, nor are you going to do anything else just as stupid." Her face was a stony resolve.

"I am sorry to be blunt, Edward, but I refuse to lose another son. I know she's your mate and we respect how hard it is for you right now, but you need to trust your mate to handle this. Remember all she told us with the torment you put Bella through when you left? Morticia won't become so dependent on you because she makes her own choices and you need to respect that. That is the only way you will make a relationship with her work, honey." Her voice began as hard as stone but mellowed to a lighter tone towards the end that made Edward feel even more like a fool.

"Of course, mom. You're right. I need to let her make her own decisions, but I...it's just so hard to take a risk with her." 

Esme quickly moved and took Edward into her arms, away from Emmett.

"I know dear, but you will see that it will all be worth it. One day in the future you will look back on this moment and laugh together at your stubbornness." 

Her embrace did ease his tension slightly, but his thoughts continued to swirl.

'How can one human girl take on a pack of huge, shapeshifting wolves alone?' 

His thoughts would soon be answered and the wolves would soon learn not to cross one, Morticia Addams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter was shorter than others, but I didn't want to jump into Morticia meeting the wolves just yet...Any ideas on how she makes an impression??


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The meeting with the wolves doesn't go entirely as Morticia expected and somebody gets hurt in the process

Authors note:

Very quickly before we begin this story I would just like to rest all of your concerns. As you could probably tell, Bella is not my favorite character in the series and this is most definitely an EDWARD/OC love story. Although Bella will make an appearance, her and Edward's relationship IS NOT the center of this story. Bella does have a purpose in this story but you will have to wait and see. As far as the relationship between Morticia and Edward, that will continue to blossom as the story continues. I'd like to remind all of you that this a realistic love story. Not one where the woman automatically falls for the boy's charms just because he is a sparkly vampire who can't read her mind. Real relationships aren't rainbows and sunshine 24/7, there will be angst at times. Also while there will be similar plot points, this will stray very far from the timeline of the original twilight books, but everything has a purpose in this story I promise you- there is a plan and all will be revealed in time. This wouldn't be much of an interesting story if I told you the entire plot on the first page, guys! Some people also raised concerns over Morticia's cursing, I apologize if this offends anyone but I will not be changing that aspect of her personality. Her character is very brass and abrasive at times. She is a very bold character who is not going to conform to any of society's proper etiquette- if this is an issue I am sorry to see you go....but the story must continue!

Now, on with our normally scheduled programming for those who stuck around.

(Morticia Pov) 

Morticia knew she was most definitely making a mistake after she sent the text to Alice. She should've told the Cullens about the blank spots the wolves made in Alice's visions. But there was no way in hell that she'd make it within 100 feet of the treaty line if they knew she was going in essentially blind. 

That didn't mind now, Morticia needed to keep a calm head if she was going to convince the wolves to take her seriously, or better yet to actually listen to her. She'd worry about Edward and his temper tantrums later. 

It didn't take long before they were pulling into Billy Black's driveway and she noticed a familiar dark, long-haired boy race out of the house. 

"Morticia! You made it! I can't believe you decided to come! Billy wasn't sure. Tony said you would probably be swamped with school work."

She laughed as he wrapped her in a warm embrace once she stepped out of the car.

"As if I'd miss a chance to show you all my pale ass! And Tony exaggerated, he was probably worried you boys would try to steal me away and he'd never see me again!"

'Nice start, Tish. You've set the trap, now let's see if he takes the bait.' She thought as he blushed and set her on her feet.

Jacob rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "huh, I don't know about kidnapping you but I'm sure the guys wouldn't mind having a pretty girl like you around for a little while. It gets boring being surrounded by just us guys all the time." 

'hook, line, and sinker.' She thought happily. 

"Well then, I guess I have no choice but to meet the rest of you. I mean Caleb wouldn't shut up on the way over about how excited he was to eat the 'best food on the planet' and see, who was it, Caleb? Smith? Shawn??" She acted cluelessly, giving her cousin a confused look.

'I am so sorry cousin, I can't miss this opportunity. You can hate me later' She thought full of glee as she knew the perfect way to get back at his comment from earlier.

"...oh that's right SETH CLEARWATER !" Morticia screamed the name loudly and a skinny Quileute boy standing a few feet away turned quickly. 

Caleb gave Morticia a death glare as the boy raced over and gave her cousin a hug. Behind the boy's back, Morticia gave her cousin a thumbs up.

'I hate you.' He mouthed over Seth's shoulder and she blew him a kiss.

"Hey man, long time no see!" Seth said as they finished their weird bro hug.

"Huh, yeah. School's been pretty bad so I never have time to do anything anymore. I thought the last year of junior high was supposed to be easy?!" Caleb groaned and ran his fingers through his hair.

'Is he...nervous? Why is he acting nervous around Seth? Oh... wow. Was not expecting that.' Morticia thought, shocked at the sudden realization. 

Caleb wasn't the only one looking nervous, Morticia also noticed that Seth chose to look anywhere but Caleb's eyes and got so tongue-tied that she could barely understand a word of what they were saying.

'Two dorks in love. Awe, this is too cute.' Her heart warmed as she looked at the lovestruck couple. 'Now I see why Caleb wanted to come tonight so bad. I wonder how this all started?'

Deciding that the two deserved some privacy without her being some creepy chaperone, she turned to Jacob and asked, "Hey you wanna take a walk and give those two love birds some privacy?"

Jacob gave her a sheepish smile, "I was actually just about to ask you the same thing. Seth's been going crazy ever since Tony told Harry that you decided to come."

"Oh, really! So can you give me any details on when all of that started?" She gestured to the couple as she and Jacob began to walk around the perimeter of the clearing.

"Uh, they've always been close ever since they were in diapers, but this past summer I think they really hit things off. Caleb started going on more fishing trips with Harry and Seth started hanging out with his dad more because of it I think."

Morticia let out a knowing sigh, "And so A+B="

"Whatever that mess of hormones was up there," Jacob said with a chuckle.

"Oh, come on Jake, Even you have to remember being that age!"

Jacob turned slightly pink and rubbed his neck again, "huh, yeah I guess so."

Morticia hmm'd slightly. "I bet you were the boy who told scary stories around the campfire so pretty girls would jump into his arms."

"Wh-what? N-No" Jacob stuttered as they made a slight turn. "I wouldn't do that!"

"Even if the girl asked you to tell her one?" She really hoped her leading was working, because if she had to play stupid any longer she was going to lose her fucking mind.

Jacob stopped and turned, giving her a shocked look. "Are you asking me to tell you a scary story? Right now at this campfire?"

'Could this boy be any more clueless,' She deadpanned. 'Sweet Jesus and he's from an Alpha bloodline.'

Morticia gave him a flirty stare, "I mean if you aren't up to the challenge that's fine. I just hoped that even Jacob Black would have some spooky stories that could interest even the likes of me." 

She let out a sad sigh, "oh but I guess it wasn't meant to be. I guess I'll have to alleviate my disappointment with smores and hot dogs." She turned to head back to where the rest of the group was and felt a hand grab her arm. When she turned to look at Jacob, his face was unsure and he glanced quickly over her shoulder before turning back to her.

"There is one story. The elders told us about it as kids but It's just a stupid story, I'm not sure if you'd be interested." 

Morticia moved closer to him and stared him straight in the eyes, "try me. You'll never know unless you try." 

He looked back over her shoulder and she rolled her eyes slightly, "If you're worried about the elders, we can always go someplace more private. They'll just think you snuck me off to have a makeout session instead of divulging some mysterious story!" 

Thankfully Jacob laughed and motioned for her to follow him. "Ok. There's this small clearing just a little way out into the woods, we'll get there in a few minutes if we take the abandoned hiker's path."

'Am I crazy for going into the woods with a potential werewolf? Yes. Am I glad it isn't dark out yet? another yes. Am I glad that Alice can't see me right now? Hell yes.' 

In hindsight, this probably wasn't the best-laid plan, but if getting Jacob to spill the beans meant taking a hike with him through the woods, then so be it. She still had her pepper spray on her key chain and she knew how to turn her keys into a weapon. Werewolf or not, a key to the balls would hurt any supernatural creature. 

They were silent for quite some time as they slowly trekked through the greenery. The only noise coming from the crunching of the dry leaves under their shoes as they walked.

"So, how are you liking Forks so far?" He asked her, breaking the silence.

"You know, I'm enjoying it a hell of a lot more than I thought that I would. Especially since I made some friends already, besides you and Billy of course."

Jacob gave her a confused look, "Oh, yeah? Who's that? Do they go to Forks high?"

"Yeah actually, they do! They're Dr. Cullen's kids. Do you know them?"

He stopped walking suddenly and gave her a shocked look.

"What? Why do you have that look on your face?" She played dumb.

'God I deserve an Oscar for this performance.' 

Jacob stumbled slightly and coughed, "Uh, It's just weird that you mentioned the Cullens because if my memory is right, they are in the story I'm about to tell you."

"What?! No, way! The people at my high school say that they're total loners and nobody ever gets close to them. I just thought it was because they were the new kids" She faked a shocked expression.

"Yeah, new to this decade of students." He muttered as they continued walking.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, in our legends, there are these creatures- the cold ones. They are described as pale demons who terrorized our tribe. They fed on the locals, draining them of their blood, and leaving the corpses as a calling card. They're the reason why the Quileute acquired a certain..uh, ability."

Jacob paused to see her reaction and she nodded for him to continue.

"There's always been this story in our tribe that the Quileutes were descended from wolves and that our warriors had the ability to shapeshift whenever they needed to protect their land."

Morticia looked at him with wide eyes, "Jake, are you telling me that your tribe tells a werewolf and Vampire story to their children as a type of bedtime story?!"

Jacob shook his head, his white teeth gleaming against his tan skin. "Uh, it's more of a story to us kids, but to some of the elders, I'm not so sure. I think they truly believe the Cullens descended from their enemy- the cold ones- and that's why I never see them on the reservation. Apparently they caught the leader and a few of his children hunting on our land. They said they didn't know the land had been occupied so we signed a treaty of sorts. Basically, it said that if they stay on their side, we will stay on ours...and the rest is supposedly history."

Morticia gave him a look, "So, do you believe the story? Do you actually think the Cullens are blood-sucking vampires that 'vant to drink your blood, blah blah blah.'" She said in a very fake Transylvanian accent while showing her canines, and made Jake burst out laughing.

"Honestly, I think Quil Sr. just smoked too much of the pipe when he was younger, but as I said, it's just a story they tell us as kids so that we 'remember the land that our ancestors fought for,' or something like that. Sometimes I space out when the elders' drone on and on before we can eat." 

'mission accomplished.' She thought happily as she pulled Jacob to turn around.

"Speaking of food, I'm sure your secret hideout is great and all, but all this talk of vampires and werewolves is making me hungry. Hey, you don't suppose they sure B+ at this bonfire do you?" She said as they began the walk back towards the others.

Jacob fell into step beside her and looking up at the now dark sky, full of stars.

"Sorry to say, but I think you're out of luck. But hey, since you're such good friends with the Cullens, maybe Dr. Cullen can hook you up." He turned and gave her a wink.

Morticia just shook her head and changed the conversation to more idle small talk. They made it back to the campsite in no time and Caleb was frantic. 

"Where have you been, I was worried about you! I almost called Tony! Can you imagine how that phone call would go? 'Hey dad, sorry to bother you but I lost my older cousin!" Caleb was out of breath as he ran to them, Seth following close behind.

Morticia rolled her eyes, "Oh, come on Caleb. You'd think you'd be able to see when somebody was trying to give you privacy! I mean, tell me you aren't that dense." 

Caleb and Seth both blushed and looked away from each other. 

"Besides, Jacob wanted to tell me a scary story and I was worried that you may have nightmares if you heard it." She said as she began to make her way over toward the fire. "enjoy the rest of the night boys, I need to talk to Billy real fast."

She quickly made her way towards the man seated in the wheelchair and he immediately took notice of her. 

"Morticia, how nice of you to stop by." He said, his voice slightly tight.

'hmmm, now why does that greeting sound so strained, I wonder...'

"Hello, Billy! Thank you for inviting us, I've had such a lovely time. This really is a beautiful place!" She knew she was laying it on thick, but better safe than sorry. 

"I'm glad you like it. So, Tony says you've been adjusting well."

"Oh, yes. I suppose I have. After everything that's happened, it's nice to get my mind off of things and just hang out with some friends."

He cleared his throat, "Friends like the Cullens, you mean?"

Morticia cocked her head, feigning confusion. 

"Yes, of course. The Cullens have been so wonderful to me and I can't believe that your ancestors thought they descended vampires?! Can you believe that?"

Billy turned a pale color and his eyes slightly widened.

"Uh, where did you hear that exactly?" his voice began to fill with worry.

Morticia brightened, "Oh, Jake told me the entire story! We went for a walk in the woods just to get away from all the craziness of the party and I asked him if he knew any scary stories."

He visibly relaxed, "Ah, yes a story. That's all there is to it really."

Morticia's demeanor instantly changed to be more rigid, "If that were true, why is it that they aren't allowed on the reservation?"

Billy froze, "Where did you get that idea?" The tightness was back in his voice.

"Where do you think? I invited the Cullens to come with me and they refused because they said they weren't wanted on the reservation. Do I really need to bring up the racist undertone to this Billy?"

Billy's eyes darted around her to try to draw the attention of anyone else.

Morticia stepped closer to his chair.

"Don't even think of causing a scene Billy, we both know who I have on speed dial and this could become ugly, very quickly. So here's what you're going to do instead. I want you to gather all your council buddies and any tribe member who has shifted and I want to talk to them, tonight. No stalling or getting me to change my mind, you try anything and I will blow the whistle on your little puppy ring you've got going on here."

Billy looked very much a mixture of shocked and angry.

"I have no idea what you are talking about. You're confused. It's all because of that story Jacob told you. It's just a story!"

Morticia sighed and knew that she wasn't getting anywhere with him. 

'Maybe I should try to get one of them to shift. That's crazy but it'll work as I need it to.' 

She knew how dumb this idea was and how she might just get herself killed, but she did tell Tony that she wanted to rebel tonight.

Looking around she noticed that there seemed to only be future wolves and wives present with the elders. Perfect, that makes things easier and less damage control. 

She quickly spotted Paul Lahote standing by Sam Uley on the far side of the fire- both of them had a matching tattoo. 'Just as I thought. They've already turned.' She hurried to make her way towards them before Billy could warn anybody of her plan.

'please don't let me get maimed. I'd really like to keep my limbs as they are now.'

The boys quickly noticed her walking towards them and Paul gave her a charming smirk. Oh, she couldn't wait to slap that right off his face. 

"Well hello gorgeous, I don't believe we've met, I'm P-" SMACK.

Morticia threw all of her weight into the smack and she was sure she felt something pop inside her hand. 

He looked at her in furious shock, his breathing became short and fast and Sam quickly moved to shove her aside but she was too quick. 

"What? What are you gonna do about it Paulie? Are you gonna get angry? Show some fur?" She ducked under Sam's large arms and began shoving Paul's chest hard.

"Huh- what are you gonna do? Are you gonna wolf out? Come on! DO IT! Or are you too scared?!" With each shove and comment, she was sure that he was gonna turn at any second, but Sam decided to use an alpha command.

"Paul calm the hell down now!" Sam's voice was full of authority and Paul visibly deflated.

Morticia smirked and put her hands on her hips, "yeah Paul, listen to your alpha like a good little bitch and calm down, maybe roll over and show your belly while you're at it."

That was the final straw. Paul glared daggers at her and within an instant, his body contorted as his wolf form ripped through. Morticia thought that she had put enough distance between her and Paul but he jumped at the last second and one of his massive claws caught her on the arm and sliced her open from shoulder to the elbow.

"Ahhh!" She cried as she fell to the ground, holding her bleeding arm.

Paul, fully in wolf form towered above her, his teeth practically glowing in the moonlight- ready to bite. Morticia met his wolf stare head-on- exactly what they never tell you to do in nature documentaries.

"look I get it, I pissed you off, wolfie. It was a bitch move, but I had to prove a point. Sorry." She muttered weakly as she felt the blood dripping from her arm and onto the grass below. 

The gray wolf looked at her in confusion and tilted its head before bolting into the trees. 

'well, I'd say that was...not expected' She thought as she moved to set up in the grass. She knew if she tried to stand she'd just fall back down, so why bother?

She could vaguely hear Caleb screaming in the background as arms quickly grabbed her and lifted her from the ground. 

"Somebody call Sue!" Sam called to the group that had gathered around her.

"NO!" Morticia objected, trying to move in Sam's arms. "I will only let Carlisle Cullen examine me!"

Sam looked at her in disgust, "The Cullens aren't permitted on the reservation, let Sue get you stitched up. I'm sure she's ten times better than a leach." 

Morticia shoved herself out of Sam's arms and once again found herself in the grass.

"Get this through your moronic wolf brain, Uley. Either Carlisle Cullen is able to come on the reservation to treat me or I run to him and tell the entire town that Paul attacked me. It's your choice. I tried to do this peacefully but Billy wouldn't listen so now I give ultimatums." 

Sam clenched his jaw as he stared her down, "Then what's stopping us from telling the town about your precious Cullens?"

Morticia smirked evilly," Oh honey. You can spin any story that you'd like about them, but you know what they have over you. They aren't tied to the land like you are. You guys are very territorial and like to put down roots. The Cullens are nomadic creatures and can just pack up and start over. You have more to lose, wolf boy, so I suggest you listen to this crazy blonde chick and shelve your misogynistic alpha bullshit for the night, ok?" 

The two were then stuck in a stalemate of sorts, neither wanting to break their stare.

Billy Black rolled up to them, "Sam, just listen to her. I think we should do as she says, this once, and you need to attend to the others. Paul gave them quite a shock."

Morticia gave him a sardonic smile, "Now William, If you'd just listened to me I wouldn't have played a part in traumatizing half of your tribe, now would I. Remember I did warn you."

Billy gave her a hard glare and turned away, grumbling to himself.

Morticia glanced around at all the traumatized people and felt a sense of guilt, she didn't want to cause this bad of a scene, but it needed to be done. If this had happened in any other situation with another human- things could have been majorly worse. 

She turned to see Sam still watching her, wearily.

"Hey, I know I may seem like a massive bitch right now, but I actually came here to help you guys tonight. I just didn't plan on getting maimed." She said as she gestured to her arm.

Sam looked at her confused, "How does causing a scene like that help us a all ?"

Morticia shook her head, feeling the blood loss getting to her and she struggled to stay on her feet.

"Jacob told me about the legends and I already know about the Cullens, I was planning on telling you that if you're trying to keep secrets- maybe you shouldn't tell them as bedtime stories to your kids and instead maybe you should have better ties with your supposed enemies. The Cullens could teach you guys a thing or two about control, especially Jasper. Imagine what could have happened if word got out about you guys and somebody decided to test it out on a drunken dare. Look how easily Paul turned. All I did was hit a few easy buttons. What happened to Emily, it could happen again Sam..." She hoped that he understood how important this situation was.

Sam's eyes held great pain, "It already has," He gestured to her arm. 

Morticia scoffed, "this is nothing, once Carlisle gets ahold of me I'll be good as new. If I was the sacrificial lamb to get you guys to bury the hatchet then so be it." She swayed slightly as black spots danced across her vision.

Sam's worried voice sounded far away, "Morticia....Morticia." 

"Call- Call Carlisle, please Sam." That was the last thing she was able to say before the blackness consumed her and she fell to the earth once more.

~~~~~Vision~~~~~

"My brave, Morticia...... Always too quick to sacrifice herself for the greater good..... One day you will be able to finally see yourself for who you are." That voice, softer now, called out to her. 

This time it sounded more distinct. It was definitely a female voice, high pitch, yet soft as a flower petal. 

'See myself for who I am? What the hell?'

"Who are you?" Morticia called out hopelessly. "Please, I need to know!" 

"When the time is right, you'll know young one.... for now, heed my advice.... follow your heart!" The voice trailed off with a laugh, making Morticia's annoyance grow.

'Follow my hear, what kind of bullshit is that?!'

~~~~End Vision~~~~~

Morticia was brought back to consciousness by a cold sensation traveling from her forehead down to her pulse point. 

She slowly opened her eyes and was met with the worried eyes of Carlisle Cullen.

"They actually called you. I don't believe it." She murmured softly, closing her eyes in relief.

She had worried that the wolves wouldn't take her advice and would either have Sue treat her or have her bleed out on their front lawn.

Carlisle laughed softly, but it sounded hollow. She opened her eyes to see the Cullen Patriarch looking at her with another worried look.

"I almost didn't believe it either. Morticia. Please explain to me why you decided to anger a teenage werewolf and cause him to phase, risking an injury like yours in the process?"

Morticia shrugged and instantly regretted it when she pulled slightly at her injured shoulder. She glanced down to see the arm in question wrapped in a pristine white gauze.

"I knew you'd be able to patch me up in case anything went wrong. You've practically perfected the method of suturing and not leaving a scar."

Carlisle, while embarrassed of her praise, gave her a firm gaze.

"Morticia, please. You have no idea how worried we were! First Alice can't see your future and then suddenly I get a call from Sam Uley saying that I have temporary permission to come to treat you for a deep wound because you refused their help. If I had been human, I'm sure my heart would've given out from the shock of it all."

Morticia gave him a worried look. "Sam gave you permission to cross the treaty line, as in you alone? Nobody else came with you."

She didn't know what she'd do if she had to face both the Cullen cavalry and the pissed off, confused wolf pack. A girl can only handle so much excitement for one day.

"Carlisle gave her a tiny smile, "No, I didn't allow everybody to come, Only Esme and Jasper chose to come and make sure you were alright. Jasper chose to try to calm the wolves while Esme spoke with your cousin and Uncle.

'Oh shit' She thought guiltily. She never meant for Caleb to see that, in fact, she'd completely forgotten that he was there- which made her feel even worse. She was so focused on getting her point across that everything else became a blur.

"Caleb. I need to go talk to him! Before he makes himself crazy with worry." She tried to move to get up but Carlisle stalled her movements with a hand on her uninjured shoulder. 

"He is fine, I assure you. Esme explained everything- to Caleb specifically and he's taking the news wonderfully. He sat in while I was doing your sutures and never let go of your hand the entire time. I can bring him in here if you'd like but you need to rest that shoulder." He told her in complete Doctor mode.

"Wait, you said Esme told him everything, what do you mean everything?"

"She explained the situation with the wolves and...about us." 

This made Morticia spring forward in the bed she was laying on. 

"She told him you guys are vampires?! Why Carlisle? Doesn't that paint a target on his back?! If the Volturi find out that another human knows, we're fucked!" She moved to untangle herself from the covers as Carlisle continued.

"We thought it best to tell him as Jasper could sense a certain, uh, connection between him and a young wolf. We made up a cover story for your uncle, though. It's been decided that you wandered off from the party and got attacked by an animal, managed to escape to make your way back to the party, but not without obvious injury. It seemed easier to just tell Caleb the full details now, especially since he and that young wolf are so close."

Morticia looked at Carlisle in confusion, "Young wolf? Wait...Do you mean Seth? What does Seth have to do with anything involving Caleb? I mean, yeah they were totally flirting but I fail to see how that equals us telling him about the supernatural minus what he witnessed tonight. And thank you for not telling Tony. I don't think he could handle all the supernatural baggage."

Carlisle looked almost bemused, "Your welcome. However, it seems that Jasper can feel the 'imprint' bond as the wolves call it. Just as my dear friend Marcus can see ties between individuals- either platonic or romantic- Jasper can sense the same with imprints. He says it feels more intense than love almost to the point of complete admiration."

Morticia looked at him in disbelief, "You are joking. No way. So not only does Jasper have to deal with vampire lust, now he has to deal with wolf lust too. Damn, sorry Jaz."

Carlisle chuckled, "I'm not too sure how Jasper feels about the sudden realization, but he has had plenty of time to test it out with the new wolves."

Morticia looked at him confused, "Wait, new wolves. What do you mean?"

"It seems as if you were right, our presence triggers the wolf gene. When we came in close proximity to some of the younger, not yet triggered wolves, they began to take on the symptoms. Seth was one of those and after he turned, well let's just say sparks flew between him and your cousin."

Morticia shook her head, "Carlisle, that's impossible. Wolf transformations take days, even weeks to complete, how could they do that in one night?"

Carlisle looked at her in disbelief, "Morticia what day do you think it is?"

"Monday, August 29th, why?" 

"Because you've been unconscious for nearly seven days recovering, Morticia. There must have been something in Paul's claw that was causing some sort of infection that I've been monitoring. It's Saturday, September 3rd."

Morticia looked at him in disbelief.

"Please tell me Caleb put you up to this to pay me back for embarrassing him in front of Seth." She pleaded, Meekly.

Carlisle shook his head sadly. "I wish I was, dear. I wasn't kidding when I said you gave us all a fright. There were times that I was worried that you may pull through. Your heartbeat was dangerously low at certain times. This wasn't my ideal situation to treat you in, but Sue Clearwater so graciously offered me her home as well as any equipment we may need." 

'So that's where I am. The Clearwater house.'

Morticia was silent for a moment then looked at Carlisle, hopeful.

"On a scale of one to ten, how pissed is Edward?" She was very much afraid of the answer. 

Carlisle rose from the bed and turned towards the door. Just before he reached for the handle, he turned back to look at her over his shoulder.

"I'd say he's been simmering at 100 since I received the call." Then he turned and exited the room, leaving Morticia to her guilt.

'It's my fault that he's angry. I did promise not to get myself hurt and I'd say I am very much hurt right now.' She mused to herself as she pushed herself gently off the bed and made her way to the window. 

Outside she noticed a gray wolf was stationed outside and when she noticed it, the wolf whimpered and put his head on his paws.

'Oh, Paul. I'm sorry.' She winced inwardly but gave the wolf a gentle smile. Hopefully, he took that as she held no anger over her injury. 

Turning from the window, she moved to exit out the same door as Carlisle and came face to face with the fang and fur cavalry. 

The Clearwater's living room was filled with many new wolves and what shocked her the most was that they were all being cordial to the Cullens. To her surprise and utter dismay, the entirety of the Cullen clan was sitting here as well, minus the one she really wanted to talk to. They all looked at her with a mix of worry and anticipation, almost as if they expected her to crumble to nothing right there in the living room!

'And here I thought Carlisle was an honorable man,' She thought, suddenly very on edge. 

"Carlisle, I thought you said that you didn't bring everyone?!" Morticia accused as she moved further into the room.

Carlisle had the gal to look sheepish, "I said when I first arrived. That was over six days ago, Morticia. You can't honestly expect me to be able to contain all of my children from seeing you for that long."

Morticia groaned, and went to retort but was broken off by Rosalie.

"Don't you dare try to downplay your injury or this situation. You risked your life not only by coming here but for smacking a teenage werewolf. How stupid can you be, Morticia? What if he had caught your jugular instead of your shoulder?! Where would we be then?" She fumed in the corner of the room. 

Morticia didn't think she'd ever seen Rosalie this angry before, not since she'd met her. 

"Well, I'd be in a casket so I have no idea what you guys would be doing." She said sarcastically as Sue handed her a glass of orange juice, which she thanked her for.

Rosalie gave her a withering look and stormed out of the room, nearly shoving Embry to the ground as she passed. Emmett gave her a sympathetic look.

"Sorry, sis. But you have to admit, she's got a point. You gave us quite a scare. We never thought you'd take it to that extreme for our sake. She's just angry, don't worry about it." His voice held such a serious tone, so uncommon for Emmett that it made her feel even worse.

Morticia looked to Caleb, who sat beside Seth on the couch, looking quite cozy but also worn out. 

"I'm so sorry, for all that I've put you guys through. I never intended to cause any more bad blood. I just wanted both sides to see that the other is no more monster than the other. I wanted to promote unity but I think I may have gone about it all wrong." She hung her head, chiding herself mentally.

Everyone was silent for a moment until Caleb spoke up.

"Look, cuz. I'm not saying what you did was right but I think you can still call this a win." 

At her shocked look, he continued, "You took a huge risk, sure. But look around. I'd say everybody is pretty unified. I mean, we survived six days without any other casualties- that seems pretty awesome to me." 

Morticia shook her head at her cousin's optimism.

"Yeah, if it led to you and Seth finally realizing what everybody else knew then I say it's worth it, Caleb." 

The atmosphere seemed to lighten and Morticia was finally able to see the little dynamic they had set up in her absence. Esme was quickly helping Sue make sandwiches in the tiny kitchen, Carlisle was talking intently with the elders, Emmett and Jasper were playing with some of the younger kids, but Alice was secluded from the rest. 

She just stood on the back patio and stared out into the trees, almost as if she were frozen in time. 

'The blindspots are making her uncomfortable. She doesn't feel safe having her gift blocked with the wolves.' 

Taking another quick drink of juice, Morticia set her glass on the counter and made her way to the back porch.

She quickly shut the door behind her but Alice never turned to acknowledge her.

Morticia sighed and went to stand beside her. 

"Hey. I notice you weren't joining in on all the festivities. If it's because the wolves are messing with your visions I totally under-"

"Do you seriously think that I'm upset because I can't see any visions?! Are you kidding me, Morticia?"

Morticia shrunk back at the venom in both Alice's voice and her stare. Her eyes were like liquid obsidian and her voice was cold as ice.

She was too shocked to respond, so Alice continued her rant.

"I don't give a shit about right now! I am still pissed about last night! Not only could I not see if my friend was in any danger, but I also had to sit back and watch as Carlisle ran to save you life- and I couldn't see any outcome! How many years have I had this gift and the one time I actually need it for something important, I CAN'T SEE YOU!! I had to wait for hours, just to hear if you survived because we all couldn't cross the border. I may be immortal but those few hours felt like eternity Morticia. It was even worse on Edward, especially since he didn't have Jasper to calm us. We were worried sick about you. You promised him that you 'd be safe. You told us you weren't going to do anything irrational! I almost lost my best friend!!" Alice's voice broke at the end and Morticia felt tears well up in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry. I'm not used to having people care this much about me. I've always been so independent that I forgot how you may be affected. I'm so sorry, please can you forgive me. I honestly had no idea it would all go this wrong, I just wanted to help!" She continued to sob and felt Alice bring her into an icy embrace.

"Just don't make me ever worry like that again and I think we can call it even. Besides, it isn't me you need to grovel to. Edward took your injury worse than the rest of us. He refused to speak to us or the wolves the entire time you were asleep. He just sat by your bedside and watched over you. He nearly went into a panic when the infection set in, it had Carlisle nearly throwing him out the door."

Morticia looked down, ashamed.

"Do you think he'll forgive me?"

Alice's eyes took on their signature sparkle, "Oh I'm sure you both will do much better than that. Just remember that I plan to hold this over your head for at least three shopping trips! You made me wear out my favorite pair of Chanel pumps from pacing so much!"

Morticia chuckled and shook her head, "I definitely owe you, Alice. And again, I'm so sorry for stressing you all out. That was very immature of me. I should've come up with a better plan."

"Yes, Yes you should have." Alice nodded, then wrapped her in her arms again. "But I think it all worked out for the best. Now, what are you going to do about my brooding older brother?"

Morticia groaned, "I have no idea, care to give me some tips?"

Alice giggled and shook her head, "Come on Morticia, you know that would be cheating."

Morticia frowned and leaned back against the railing. 

"Do you think I should talk to him now? I mean I did only regain consciousness less than an hour ago, but I have a feeling you guys have it handled here."

Alice nodded eagerly, "He's been waiting not so very patiently for you to wake up and I think it would be a huge mistake if you made him wait any longer." Pulling a set of keys out of her jacket pocket, she dangled them in front of Morticia's face.

"What do you say, wanna do a jailbreak?"

Morticia laughed and grabbed the keys from Alice. 

"Have I mentioned how much I love you, Alice?" Giving the tiny Vampire another hug she turned ran off the back porch, Alice's laughter trailing after her. 

She quickly realized that the keys she held were to Carlisle's Black Mercedes and she didn't see her baby anywhere.

'If they towed her, I'll go psycho on somebody.' She growled as she threw the car in reverse, her anger transforming from the car to Edward.

'How dare he be so angry? What gives him the right to be so pissed off??! It isn't as if we're dating? I am not his demure damsel like Bella Swan, How many times do I have to tell him that!'

She was quickly advancing over the speed limit as she raced through Forks but she didn't care.

'So what if I broke his promise, He should've expected it! I mean come on?! Has he met me? Chaos is practically my middle name since I came here? Where does he get off acting so high and mighty?!

She understood that Edward had control issues, just as she had her own issues...she just hoped that together they didn't create something of an emotional bomb when they met guns blazing.

"You better be ready Edward Cullen. I'm hurting, pissed off, and really do not have the energy to bull shit tonight."

She was on a warpath for answers and she was going to get them, one way or another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be Edward's reaction to Morticia's injury and a look inside his thoughts before they see each other again.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We finally get Edward's thoughts on Morticia's accident and how she handles seeing him after she wakes up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This is kind of a long chapter with plenty angst and not the usual Morticia flare but that's to be expected- she lost a lot of blood. Also, broody Edward is here!

(Edwards Pov before the accident)

After learning of the shocking revelations of Morticia's message, the entire room still seemed to be on edge even an hour later.

Edward tried to keep his mind quiet by playing a soft melody on his beloved piano, but nothing seemed to stop his as well as everyone else's anxious thoughts.

'I really hope she knows shat she's getting herself into.' Jasper thought to him. 'It's been a while since I've encountered the wolves and we don't know how many more they've acquired since.'

'I really hope she showered or put on some perfume, because if she goes in there smelling like us...I don't think that'll go over well.' Emmet's voice was full of uncharacteristic worry. 

'I can't believe she wouldn't tell me that I can't see the wolves. Why can't I see them? Is my power not strong enough? I'd never forgive myself if she got hurt because my power failed.' Alice's thoughts were full of hurt and it pained Edward to see his normally bright little sister so down and gloomy. 

While the other's thoughts greatly paralleled his own, it was Carlisle whos thoughts resonated with him the most.

'Son, you mustn't be angry with her. She knew there was no way the wolves would listen to us and thought this was the best plan. You can't fault her for her selflessness.'

Edward knew that his father was right. He shouldn't fault her for being so selfless but thinking about her out there facing the dangers of the wolves alone made him want to crumble. 

She had told them of Sam Uley and his accident that disfigured his fiancee Emily. What if something like that were to happen to Morticia. The image of her tiny figure layed up in a hospital bed, her pale skin nearly indistinguishable from the stark white sheets- that was enough to make him want to risk any punishment there could be for breaking the treaty. 

'Is this what it feels like to truly find your mate? Your other half?' He mused. For years he had watched as his family doted and adored their mates, only to become wild at the thought of any harm coming to them. Edward had just associated this to the primal nature that came with being a vampire, but he felt that same surge well within him anytime Morticia was near.

'Why do I feel like Morticia is my mate when Bella is supposed to be?' He had seen pictures of Charlie Swan's daughter and she paled in comparison to the blonde-haired beauty that was Morticia Addams. 

How Morticia described his relationship towards Bella- that intense devotion and adoration, he was already starting to feel that for Morticia instead. From her descriptions of Bella, he wasn't entirely ashamed to admit- he found her rather dull in comparison to Morticia's fiery personality.

Edward knew that he should at least give Bella a chance to see if he truly was her mate, that only seemed fair. But he wondered, is it possible to have two mates? Would he feel this same strong pull towards Bella as he did Morticia? The thought made him want to cringe. Having to navigate a relationship with one other person was stressful enough but two? That was his own personal nightmare. 

He didn't have time to dwell on his thoughts any longer as Alice's gasp pulled him from his musings.

"What is it, Alice?" Jasper said, gently putting his arm around his wife.

"Oh god, Carlisle, You have to hurry!" She sobbed into her hand as quickly after that Carlisle's cell phone began to ring. 

"Hello, this is Dr. Cullen." He answered cordially.

"Dr. Cullen, uh. This is Sam, Sam Uley...from the reservation. There's been an accident and we need you to come down here right away." A deep voice sounded from the other line. 

'Dear God, please. Not her' Edward's thoughts were full of pain as Carlisle turned his worried gaze towards him.

'Stay calm Edward. We don't know the details yet.'

"Alright. May I ask what has happened?" Carlisle asked while quickly gathering his black medical bag and other supplies.

"Morticia, Jake's friend, she uh got into a fight with Paul and she's hurt pretty bad."

Everybody in the room became deathly still. Carlisle took a few moments to compose himself and Edward could see that he was nearly crushing the phone in his grip.

"and how bad is she hurt?" Carlisle was fighting to keep his voice steady.

"She caught a claw to the shoulder and she's cut from shoulder to her elbow. She refused to let us treat her ourselves and basically forced me to call you. Please get here quick, Sue's doing everything she can but she's lost a lot of blood and she says it doesn't look too good." 

Carlisle took an unnecessary breath and glanced around the room at the rest of his children.

Placing the phone back to his ear, he asked "Since this is such a special circumstance, may I bring a few of my children with me as well. I promise you they can control themselves."

Sam was quiet for a moment before they heard him sigh into the receiver, "Yeah, yeah that's fine. Look, we can worry about the treaty later, just hurry, please."

"I will be there in a few moments, tell Sue I will bring all my equipment but I'll need some things to sanitize them with nd a clear workspace."

"Yeah, yeah I'll tell her." After Carlisle ended the call, everybody was in a state of shock.

Clearing his throat gently, his father turned to him. "Son, if you can keep your composure, I'd like you to come with me. I think your gift may be able to help the situation and if it's like Alice's, at least this can calm you by seeing her."

Edward was grateful for Carlisle's consideration and quickly moved to help gather more equipment they may need, all while worrying over whether or not they'd make it in time. 

"I know that all of you wish to go check on Morticia but you heard her, if we go around the wolves we may trigger their transformations and I don't want to risk that at this time. So, for now, I'll take Edward, Jasper, and Emmett- just until the shock wears off. After we get Morticia stable then we can see about them allowing all of us at once." Carlisle continued.

The ladies nodded their consent but Edward knew that they were just as worried if not more about the state of Morticia. 

'Please, keep us updated Edward.' Esme pleaded. Edward nodded and began to race to the car, his brothers and Carlisle not fat behind. 

None of them said a word as they pulled out of the driveway, hearing Alice's sobs fading in the distance.

For the first time in his existence, Edward noticed how frantically Carlisle was racing down the streets of Forks towards the reservation. He had always viewed his creator as a very composed man, but right now, he knew that Carlisle was one step away from breaking down.

'Edward, I know I don't need to remind you how important it is that we not make a scene with the wolves. We are walking on thin ice as is.'

Edward merely nodded at Carlisle instead of choosing to respond, for he worried what he may say at this point. 

'What am I going to say to her?' That was a better question. Should he chose to let out his anger immediately or let it fester and simmer like a parasite inside of him. He knew he must be putting Jasper through agony at the moment but he was too blinded by his emotions to care. He could probably bet at that moment that not even Jasper, on his best day, could calm him down.

The ride was silent, even their thoughts. At this point, Edward began to feel slightly numb, either from Jasper's attempted to influence or by his own hand he didn't know. It was as if he had begun to turn into a statue right there in Carlisle's car, lost in his own world.

The only thing that brought him out of his trance was the sight of the Quileute men standing watch outside the tiny house at the end of a small gravel road Carlisle had turned onto. 

Edward knew he had to get his emotions under control. 'I just need to see her and I'll be fine.' 

He listened closely and he could hear her low and lagging heartbeat. It was a sound that nearly sent him to tears. 

'She's alive, but barely. Thank god.' He was practically jumping out of his seat at this point.

"Carlisle, ignore the formalities and pleasantries. Just get inside, Emmett and I will handle it," Jasper said as they immediately raced from the car once the engine had been shut off.

Carlisle and Edward quickly made their way into the house and were met by a small Quileute Woman. 

"Dr. Cullen, I'm Sue Clearwater, Come with me. We had to put her on the kitchen table so you had enough room. She passed out maybe twenty minutes ago and hasn't regained consciousness yet. I've cleaned the wound but I can't seem to staunch the bleeding. I'm worried there may be an infection or something caught in the wound track but I was too afraid to agitate her wound further." 

Sue led them to the kitchen and the sight early made Edward drop to his knees. There she was, his precious Morticia lying prone on the wooden table, her arm wrapped with towels. Her skin looked even paler than normal, she almost matched his own and her brow was covered with a sheen of sweat.

'Fever.' He thought grimly as he hesitantly approached her side. Taking her uninjured arm in his hand, he laced his fingers together with hers and brought them to his mouth to place a whisper of a kiss upon her knuckles. 

He vaguely heard Carlisle talking with Sue, giving her instructions and such but his sole focus was on the woman in front of him and refusing to look away. Just as Carlisle began to remove the blood-soaked towels, instead of her mouth-watering blood making him ravenous it made him uncomfortable as if his senses knew how vital it was to her life and refused to see it as food. 

Once Carlisle began cleaning the wound, there was a knock at the door behind them. Sue opened the door slightly, "I'm sorry to disturb you but could Caleb come in? He's been sick with worry ever since Sam brought her in. We didn't want him to see her like this so he's been waiting with my son, Seth."

Neither Vampire turned to acknowledge her but Carlisle gave her an answer as he began threading a suture needle. "Yes, I think that is fine. I've got the worst of the blood cleaned and you were right Sue, Paul's claw somehow broke off and lodged itself in the wound. We will definitely need to watch for future signs of infection." His last comment was directed at Edward who's face was set into a frustrated grimace. 

Sue just nodded, turned back towards the door as quiet as a human could be, and left them without a word. 

A few moments later Caleb entered the room, fresh tears trailed down her cheeks.

"Pl-please tell me she's going to make it." He sobbed as he took the other chair next to Morticia's side. 

Carlisle looked up from where he was finishing up his sutures. "Caleb, she's going to be just fine. Her body just needs time to heal."

Caleb looked at the doctor in disbelief, "But- She lost so much blood and she looked dead in Sam's arms."

Edward cringed at the mental image Caleb displayed and tightened his grip slightly on Morticia's fingers. In a moment of insanity, he almost felt as if she squeezed his hand back. His eyes shot to her face, but nothing had changed.

'I'm here, love.' He thought to her as he kissed her hand again. 

Carlisle cleared his throat uncomfortably as he started the process of cleaning the wound once more. "I know she may have looked a fright Caleb, and I am so sorry that you had to see that but her heartbeat is steady. As of right now, she's in a good place. We can try to make her as comfortable as possible but the rest of the healing is up to Morticia herself." 

Caleb nodded, sniffling softly and pressed a kiss to Morticia's temple. "Uh, I need to call Tony. I don't think anybody's called him yet. It's almost midnight and he'll freak out if we don't let him know."

Edward looked at Caleb and then at Carlisle. 

'Do you think Esme should handle this?' His father thought to him and Edward nodded slightly. His mother was always the best in these delicate situations and although Carlisle's bedside manner was superb, Esme just had a certain quality about her that soothed even the roughest of characters. 

"I'll have Jasper, my other son, call my wife Esme and she can fill in your father about what happened and give him a ride over. Would that be alright?" Carlisle asked Caleb as he sanitized the remaining equipment. 

Caleb's relief was immediate and he visibly deflated. "Yeah, that sounds great, actually. Uh- I guess I'll just leave you to it." He quickly left the room, and Edward could hear him describing the events to another young male, that must be Seth.

Carlisle readied some syringes with antibiotics and pain relievers, before glancing at Edward. 

'Can you hear any of them?' Edward knew he must mean, could he hear the wolves. If he focused hard enough, he could hear them clearly. He had been so focused on tending to Morticia that he completely forgot about the wolves around them. 

He focused solely on Sam's thoughts and saw the entire night through his eyes. The vision made his eyes darken and a low growl ripped from his throat, startling Carlisle.

"Son, what is it? What did you hear."

"It isn't what I heard, it's what I saw. Sam saw the entire thing, Morticia intentionally slapped another wolf named Paul to get him to turn and when he did she was too close." The words left a bitter taste in his mouth as he all but spat them out. 

Carlisle sighed as he finished administering her medicine, "Dear girl, what have you gotten yourself into?" he muttered slightly. 

"How could she do this Carlisle?! What could she possibly gain from putting herself in that position?" 

"She was trying to show us that you aren't the only monsters that go bump in the night." A deep voice called from the doorway.

Edward turned and his eyes flashed with anger. Paul was standing in the doorway. The very wolf that put his beloved Morticia in the state she was in.

The wolf looked remorseful but Edward wasn't ashamed to admit he'd rather see him dead at this point. As soon as Edward moved to stand, Carlisle, flashed to his side and put a hand on his shoulder. 

"Don't do this son. Hear what he has to say before making any decisions."

Paul threw his hands up defensively, "look I totally get it that you're pissed. I lost control and hurt her. She didn't even hit me very hard and I wolfed out without a second thought. I never meant to hurt her, honestly. You have to believe me." His voice sounded genuine and his thoughts were concurrent. 

"That's why she was here tonight, to show you that you needed to befriend us so that we could teach you a thing or two about control. Obviously she got her point across if all it took was a few nasty words and a slap to make you lose yourself." Edward practically spat at the wolf and Paul cowered slightly at the pure animosity in his tone.

"Yeah, Sam said she told him that before she passed out. I can see now where that might be a good idea, I mean she was practically bleeding out on that table but you guys don't even seem tempted."

Carlisle gave Paul a look, "It's because we have years of practice doing it as well as we have trained ourselves to resist the temptation. It isn't easy but it's very rewarding. It allows my children to fit into a semi-normal existence."

Paul rubbed his neck, awkwardly. "I guess we have a lot to learn then, don't we?"

Carlisle nodded and then gestured to the door, "Yes you do, but if you don't mind I need to burn these bloody rags and administer a blood supplement. Unless you'd like to be a spectator, please give our regards to the rest of the wolves. We'll be out to talk shortly."

Paul nodded and all but ran out the door, most likely thankful not to be facing his mistake any longer. 

Carlisle disposed of the rags and finished setting up her treatment. Morticia's heartbeat was getting stronger by the minute and Edward finally felt as if he could relax slightly.

"You know we have to face them. The wolves I mean." Carlisle suggested quietly as he glanced at him from across the room.

"Yes, I suppose we do and Caleb will no doubt have questions, Carlisle. He saw everything and knows that the story they're telling him is a lie."

His father sighed and ran a hand through his blonde hair. 

"What do you suggest we do? Esme can easily come up with a story to please her uncle but children have always been more perceptive.."

Edward thought for a moment and focused on Caleb's thoughts once again. He was thinking a lot about Morticia but also about the young man, Seth. 

"Carlisle, didn't Sue say that her son was named Seth?"

"Yes, I believe she did,"

"And their last name is Clearwater? As in the same Clearwater that we met when we signed the treaty? If her son is anything like his ancestors then I don't think we have anything to worry about."

Carlisle looked at him confused.

"Seth is a wolf, I could smell it on Caleb when he entered. He knows it too because he's currently panicked and trying to figure out the best way to tell Caleb that he imprinted on him while his cousin is injured."

Carlisle's mouth opened in shock.

"Well, that complicates things slightly. What is imprinting, exactly?"

"According to the other wolves, it's similar to a soul mate bond."

Carlisle looked at his son in disbelief.

"I think there are some much-needed conversations to be had in the future, wouldn't you agree?" 

Edward nodded stiffly and moved to give Morticia a faint kiss on her temple before running his nose along her cheek and inhaling her fantastic scent. He was just elated to be able to hear her heartbeat and smell the blood rushing in her veins. 

Standing back up he turned to Carlisle, "We need to have those conversations now, Carlisle. No more stalling. Morticia risked her life so we could fix our mistakes, let that no be in vain."

Carlisle nodded and left the room to gather the wolves.

Edward looked down at his love and felt a stinging sensation at the back of his eyes. In shock, he brought up a hand to wipe at his eye and noticed venom had leaked out of his eyes. He had never been so emotionally distraught that he had forced himself to cry before.

With a sob, he laid his cheek on Morticia's chest and listened to the beat of her heart as more 'tears' began to leak from his eyes. 

"Please don't leave me, ever again." He pleaded to the empty room.

"I would take any punishment Lucifer himself chose for me if it meant that I get to see you smile and hear you laugh again. I can't stand seeing you like this. I don't know what role Bella plays in this but to me....you are my life, my light and you alone own my heart." 

He pulled himself back to kiss the place above her heart and forced himself to pull away. She didn't see him in that way, and he refused to sully her respect in that way. No, he wouldn't kiss her lips, even though he longed to- very much. No, instead he chose this given time to plan.

"I will win your heart the proper way, Morticia Rose Addams because I'm never letting you go ever again." 

Over the next few days, Morticia's recovery remained the same. She still remained unconscious and had a worrisome fever at one point but luckily they got it under control.

As Alice predicted, Bella came to school on Monday, and to keep up appearances the Cullens were too. They kept in close contact with Carlisle, who chose to stay on the reservation to help Morticia's recovery. 

The entire school was buzzing, not only with Bella's arrival but with Morticia's accident. The Cullens had told Tony that Morticia decided to take a walk in the woods alone when she was attacked by some kind of animal and managed to make her way back to the party. 

He was skeptical at first but once Esme got ahold of him, he was putty in her hands. tony had insisted that he take Morticia home, but Carlisle insisted that moving her in her delicate condition may agitate her wound further or rip her stitches. 

Edward had to admit that he was nervous about Bella's arrival Monday morning and made sure Jasper and Emmett were ready if he felt overwhelmed. At lunch, Jessica and Lauren chose to fill Bella in on the 'tragic' story of the Cullen family and the goth girl who got mauled in the woods. Jasper nearly tackled him when he heard Lauren's thoughts on Morticia's accident and how she wished it was more severe. 

'Dude, we do not need a massacre in the cafeteria of all places.' Emmett thought to him.

'Edward, calm down, Morticia will handle it when she gets better. Trust me,' Alice showed him a vision and he had to suppress his chuckle. 

He knew Alice was still upset over the entire situation- as were they all, but he was thankful that she was able to see her visions more clearly now. She still had no estimate of when Morticia would wake up and it made his heartache. What he wanted more than anything was to see her gorgeous blue eyes again, but Carlisle said that she hadn't regained consciousness yet. 

The bell signaling the end of lunch rang and Edward's heart filled with dread. Morticia said that he would have biology with her and as soon as she walked in the room, he prepared for the worst. He was shocked when she walked into the room, in front of the fan and he felt the urge to not vomit. 

Instead of smelling sweet and enticing as a singer would, as Morticia would, Bella smelled like sour or rotten to him- almost like how the wolves smell. As she approached his desk, he tried to be cordial as they went through their lab exercise but it took all of his restraint not to bolt out the door. She was obviously well enamored with him and he groaned mentally.

The last thing he needed was another girl trailing after him like a hopeless puppy, especially when he felt no attraction towards her what so ever. It shocked him that this woman was supposed to be his wife and mother of his child in a few years. Had he not met Morticia, he may be able to understand where Stephenie Meyer got her plot from. 

It wasn't as if Bella wasn't a sweet girl...that's just all he was to her. She was nice but every time he tried to think of her in a more romantic role, her place was filled with Morticia and her eccentric personality. To him, Bella was just...plain, as mean as the thought was. 

"Uh, so I heard about Morticia's accident." Bella tried to make small talk but Edward quickly cut that conversation off.

"Yeah, my father's treating her. I'm sorry, do you mind if we talk about something else?"

Bella looked shocked at his dismissal, "um, yeah, yeah, sure. Sorry to bring it up."

Edward sighed, he knew he shouldn't have been short to her.

"I'm sorry if that came off as rude, it's just. Morticia is...important to me and seeing her like that..."

Bella's face was one of understanding, "Oh, were you guys close? I heard that she was friends with your family, but I didn't...." 

He could tell that she was very badly fishing to see if he was available, most likely Jessica had warned her of his permanent bachelor status.

He chuckled and looked out the window into the gloomy, dark sky. 

"Yes, you can say that we are very close. I was actually planning to ask her to be my girlfriend the night of the accident." A slight lie, but he had to kill any ideas she may have of them becoming a couple. Edward knew what he wanted and he'd be damned if petty jealousy or misunderstanding ruined it.

Bella's eyes widened, "Wow, oh gosh, that's horrible. Jessica said that you didn't really date so I didn't- I'm sorry, this is going horrible." She blushed and turned her gaze towards the table.

"It's not that I don't date, it's that I didn't want to date her. I can assure you that Morticia and Jessica are two very different people. Hopefully, you'll get to meet her one day, she's...." He trailed off, unsure how to put into words just what exactly Morticia Addams was.

Bella gave him a curious look, "If you wanna talk about her I'm all ears. I hear talking can help, sometimes." 

Edward gave her a blinding smile and nodded, "You may be right about that. I already feel better just thinking about her."

The rest of the period was spent in contentment. Edward and Bella were both conversing easily and before they knew it the bell rang to signal the end of class. He chose to walk Bella to her locker, as a courtesy for easing his grief and made eye contact with Jasper. 

"Well, I hope Morticia gets better soon, from your stories she sounds pretty cool." 

Edward gave her a small smile and thanked her before turning to catch up with Jasper. 

"So, Do we have a double singer situation or what?" He asked as they began to find their siblings.

"It's incredible, Jasper. It's as if she smells rotten to me. The thought of drinking her blood made me want to vomit! And I feel no attraction to her at all. Every time I tried to think of the future Morticia told me about, I kept replacing Bella with Morticia. It's as if my brain refuses to see her as anything more than just another human and not even for food." 

Jasper turned to his brother shocked, "What you just described...it sounds as if you've already mated, brother."

"What do you mean?" Edward asked confused.

Jasper chuckled, "Brother, when a vampire mates, all other possible mates become revolting to the vampire. It's like a way for Vampires to remain loyal. You physically feel revolted at the smell of her blood because you already consider yourself mated, my guess is to Morticia. Since she became hurt, your primal instincts recognized her as your mate, which is why Bella doesn't tempt you at all." 

Edward stood by their cars in shock. The rest of his siblings had knowing smiles on their faces. 

'How could I not know that I mated? And why are they all so smug about it?'

Emmett gave a chuckle, "Bro, you are like the last person to realize that. Why do you think I've been calling her little sister? Dude, you had heart eyes for her after the first time she ripped your ass, admit it."

Rather than giving his brother a response, he turned to Alice.

"Did, you know about this?" 

Alice gave him a sheepish look, "When she first arrived, that vision I described to you... Well, I chose not to show you the entire thing." 

At his confused look she showed him the entire vision. 

He and Morticia were walking in a graveyard at twilight, the sunset giving the graveyard an almost ethereal appearance. They were walking side by side as they approached a gazebo in the middle of the graveyard, lined with many candles and scattered with blood-red rose petals.

'Wow, somebody went all out...Let me guess Alice?' Morticia gave him a knowing glance as she gave a twirl in the gazebo.

Edward chuckled as he watched her with rapt attention, his eyes taking in every inch of her.

'Yes, But I have to admit I had some input this time as well.'

Morticia groaned, 'when will you stop trying to wow me on our dates? You've already got the girl, Cullen. No need to be a show-off.' Her tone was teasing as she sauntered up to him and threw her arms around his neck. 

He kissed her soundly, his arms wrapping around her delicately as she deepened the kiss.

'How about forever?' He asked after they pulled back for a few moments. 

Morticia raised her eyebrow, 'Oh, really? You fully intend to keep up this gimmick forever, wow you must have real faith in your stamina for a man who sparkles.'

He growled playfully and captured her lips again, 'You have no idea what I'm capable of when I'm with you.' He meant to make it more of a threat but his tone gave it a more sultry appeal.

Morticia giggled against his lips, 'Mhmm, hit me with your best shot, lover boy.'

He paused for a moment before giving her a slight smile. 'You know, I love the nicknames you've given me since we've met but may I make a suggestion for a more permanent option?' 

She gave him a confused look that turned to one of shock as he slowly lowered himself down on one knee.

'Morticia Rose Addams, the day you came into my life, I had no idea that you were going to change it for the better. From the moment you arrived, you have made me a better man, a better brother, and a better son. For the longest time, I thought that my life was just going to be forever be shrouded in darkness until you came along and showed me how to bring myself into the light. I thought I'd spend my eternity alone, wallowing in my despair as those around me found their happiness. I found my happiness the day you decided to be mine, but now I'm asking you to be mine eternally....Will you have me as your husband? 

Morticia had tears in her eyes as she chuckled, 'of course I'll have you, but I thought you were a traditional man, Edward Cullen? Isn't there another form of that question you're supposed to ask?'

Reaching down, he pulled a black box from his jacket pocket and gently lifted it to show her. Inside was a ring with an obsidian stone surrounded by tiny diamonds on a band of braided silver, almost as if they were vines on a tree.

' I promise to love and cherish you, every moment of our forever. Will you marry me, Morticia Addams?'

Morticia gave him a watery sob and placed her hands gently on his face, 'Yes! Yes, of course, I will.' She whispered to him, 'I love you, Edward Cullen, even when you make me a blubbering mess.'

He pressed their foreheads together and brought her into another smoldering kiss as he brought them to their feet.

The scene faded out with him placing the ring on her finger and swinging his new fiancee around in his arms. 

Edward looked at Alice in shock. 

"Alice, what? How?" He was speechless as he continued to stare at his sister. 

"Jasper and I had our suspicions ever since you guys started to get closer. He started to get some heavy emotional vibes from you and my visions have become increasingly Morticia oriented with you." She laughed slightly then frowned as she remembered Morticia's condition.

"You can't blame yourself for this Alice, you couldn't have known." He tried to ease her grief but internally he was feeling the same. 

Alice's vision only solidified what he already knew. Morticia was his mate, not Bella or anyone else. His only issue was that his mate was currently comatose behind enemy lines and he had no clue when he was going to see her wake up.

Jasper sensed his inner turmoil and gave him an encouraging smile, "Edward, don't worry. She'll wake up when she's ready. Have you ever doubted Carlisle?" 

His brother did have a point. If there was anyone who he trusted to care for his beloved, it was his creator. 

"Come on guys let's go into wolf territory to check on little sis, shall we?" Emmett said as they piled into their cars. 

That all happened Monday, for the next five days nothing else changed from that routine. They would go to school as normal and in the evenings they would cross the border and check on Morticia's condition. It wasn't all a waiting game, as they chose this time to sit down and get to know their neighboring supernaturals. 

We began to write up some amendments to the treaty as well. With the severity of both Morticia and Emily's accident, Sam thought it best to include some training sessions with his family to help the younger, new recruits be able to control their transformations in the future. 

Esme became close with the wives and mothers to the tribe, helping out whenever she could, especially in the kitchen. She was in her element, nurturing the little wolves as if they were her own. 

Jasper and Emmett both took naturally to sparring with the wolves on a regular basis. It became somewhat of a game to them to see how quickly they could pin their opponents. With the newer recruits having so much pent- up energy, this was a nice outlet for them instead of 'wolfing out' whenever they felt annoyed. He even felt himself forgiving Paul, slightly, once he saw how invested he was with the training. 

Alice and Rosalie were the harder ones to get used to the idea of hanging around the wolves daily. Rosalie was still on edge, worrying about the consequences if the alliance were to go south, but she was also worried about Morticia. 

She may not show it but Edward saw her on more than one occasion sitting at her bedside, giving Caleb a reprieve and holding her hand, her golden eyes full of pain. Her thoughts were full of worry over the woman she viewed as a sister. 

Alice's uneasiness was harder to figure out. It wasn't a mistrust for the wolves, although they did contribute to her anxiety, no she was upset over her visions going dark. At least that was the front she kept pushing towards Edward. 

Her thoughts were full of ire at how she could never predict anything around the wolves but it wasn't until his family decided to take the wolves on a hunting trip that he found out the real reason. 

He chose to hunt at odd intervals so Morticia was under constant watch. He still felt unsure leaving her side and it pained him to be away from her for too long. He was left alone with Alice during the 'family outing' Friday night. Morticia's condition had improved greatly- she nearly woke up twice on her own, and so Carlisle suggested everybody go outside and get some fresh air to brighten everybody's spirits. 

Edward stayed behind in case anything were to go wrong and Alice chose to stay with him. He was taking a quick check of the perimeter when he heard Alice's voice inside the house.

"Why didn't you tell me that I wouldn't be able to see you? Why did you go, knowing that I wouldn't be able to see this? Were we not enough? Was I not a good enough friend?" She began to sob quietly and he could hear her take a seat in the chair by the bed. 

"Hearing Carlisle get that phone call was like waking up alone all over again after my transformation. I've never felt so helpless as I did back then. I've had so many visions since you arrived. Ones of our family, you included, happy and smiling. Happier than we have ever been, Morticia. I've seen one of us having sleepovers and becoming the best of friends.....and my heart broke at the thought of those things never happening! You make this family complete like you were the missing piece! And to go and sacrifice yourself like some kind of martyr makes me wanna slap you silly, even if you are unconscious. You saw what Bella's 'suicide' did to Edward and to this family but you still did this anyway! How can you not see how much you mean to this family?!" Her voice was nearly a scream at the end, and every sentence hit home with Edward.

He knew things were already changing, but after his love awoke, they had some serious talking to be had about her disregard for her human life. Did she really think she meant to little to this family? That they would let her sacrifice herself and just move on, unphased?!

He was so focused on his own thoughts that he failed to hear Alice's grasp, but he saw her vision. Morticia would wake up tomorrow night and come looking for him. 

'Edward, she's going to be bombarded with everyone, so maybe it is better that you stay behind to not overwhelm her.' Alice told him as he made his way back to the house.

"I won't act like you didn't just hear everything I said in there to her." His sister told him sullenly.

"I think you needed to say it, and she eventually needs to hear it. Sooner rather than later."

"Oh don't worry, I plan on giving her an earful when she wakes up." She said, her eyes shining. 

"I have faith that you will, to the fullest, dear sister. But when you do, please humor me and play up the guilt angle as much as possible, for my sake."

Both he and his sister shared a devious glance as they gazed upon the comatose beauty.

'May the games begin, love.' He thought gleefully.

(Morticia Pov- Current time)

She made it to the Cullen's driveway in record time, even when mother nature decided to be a bitch by making it rain like crazy in the dead of night. She paused as she neared the front door, letting herself get soaked in the downpour, but she didn't feel the chill at all. She was too worried about what she was going to walk in to. The next few moments could either be the beginnings of a fabulous cliche bodice ripper or it could end with them screaming at each other and hurling objects across the room. 

Although Edward was becoming vastly different from the character she was familiar with in the novel, this universe's vampire was way out of the left field for her and it unnerved the hell out of her. 

She carefully made her way into the house and realized that it was quiet, way too quiet. There was no music playing, no footsteps- nothing. The only sounds were the ones her shoes made as they squeaked across the floor and the water dripping off her clothes to the floor. She'd apologize to Esme later.

Very slowly, she checked the usual hangouts but came up empty for the auburn vampire. She was certain he could hear her frantic heartbeat as she made her way up the stairs. There at the end of the hallway, she noticed that a light was on under the door.

'This must be his room.' She thought as she stood in front of the seemingly harmless door. The door itself was harmless, obviously, but it was the room behind it that may prove to be a catastrophe. 

Gathering her courage, she turned the handle instead of knocking. He was already pissed so what was the use in announcing herself to a telepathic vampire? The door was unlocked and turned easily under her hand.

She gently pushed the wooden door and braced herself for the worst. Instead of glancing around the room, her eyes landed solely on him as he stood on the far side, glancing out the window into the storm.

Morticia didn't move from the doorway, too afraid to come closer in case he decided to start throwing things.

"You are welcome to come in." His voice was deathly calm.

'Oh, shit,' She thought as she moved into the middle of the room, 'That isn't a good start.'

He refused to turn to look at her but instead chose to stay where he was and look at her reflection in the glass beside him. His eyes were deep ebony and looked through her as if they were seeing her very soul.

They stayed like that for a few moments, neither one of them starting a conversation until finally, it made Morticia uncomfortable. 

"Ok, look. I know you're totally pissed at me and I get that. But can you please turn around so I feel like I'm not in the middle of some creepy horror flick? It's unnerving having you stare at me in the window!"

He turned finally and settled her with a hard look.

"You're unnerved? And how do you think I felt having to look at your near corpse laying on Sue Clearwater's kitchen table? How unnerved do you think I was?" His voice was still calm and he took a small step towards her.

"You say that I'm pissed, but I don't think you understand the meaning of the feeling. I was furious. When Carlisle was called by the wolves, I was ready to cross the border and rip Paul to shreds! Do you know how hard it was not to slaughter every last wolf once I made it out of the car?!" 

Morticia refused to back down and stared him straight in the eyes, slightly worried at the direction the conversation was going. 

"It had to be done, Edward. I didn't plan for it to go that way but I am fine. It was just a tiny scratch for the greater good." She chose her words poorly as he chuckled darkly and advanced on her similar to a predator.

"Just a tiny scratch? Is that it? A tiny scratch put you in a coma for nearly a week?!" He began to circle her as he continued, "And what greater good are you referring to? Are you referring to the emotional turmoil you put my family through or the one you put Caleb and Tony through?"

"The wolves had to see what would happen if anybody else got ahold of the legends and chose to act on them. They needed to learn control to see that they are no better than you or your family." Her voice was tiny as she followed him with her eyes.

"And it just had to be you who showed them, didn't it?" He breathed into her ear. She shivered but refused to show it.

'Is he trying to dazzle me right now? He's supposed to be angry at me, not rubbing up against me like a cat in heat!' She was confused and Edward's voice changed to one full of hurt.

"You broke your promise to me." He buried his face into the side of her neck and wrapped his arm around her middle from behind. 

Morticia sighed and tried to keep her mind focused, "I know that I did and I'm sorry but I had to do it. Billy Black wouldn't listen to me and so I decided to make an example out of Paul- similar to what Bella did in New Moon."

Edward stiffened slightly, then chuckled darkly against her neck. "Funny you should mention her. Did anybody mention to you that I met my alleged soul mate this week?" She shook her head numbly and he continued, "Well imagine my surprise when Bella Swan waltzed into biology, only so send me the most revolting smell I have ever encountered. It was nothing like the ambrosia that flows through your veins." He punctuated his words with a long swipe of his tongue along her jugular vein.

"I got one smell of her blood and I wanted to vomit. Isn't that strange that my supposed soulmate would elicit that response from me? I thought so too, so I decided to ask Jasper. And you know what he said? Jasper informed me that my body's reaction was perfectly normal for a mated vampire." Morticia craned her neck to look him in the eyes.

"Mated?" She murmured, confused.

"Yes love, mated. It seems that I am already mated and guess who my lucky lady was, hmm? I'll give you a hint, she's brave, fearless and has the beauty of a Grecian goddess. Oh, and she put herself in danger with a pack of werewolves, nearly causing me to commit mass genocide in a fit of rage! Any ideas who that is, love?" He nuzzled into her neck again and left a trail of kisses in his wake.

Morticia's brain was slowly understanding what he was saying and she finally composed herself long enough to pull away from him slightly.

"Wait, wait. So you're telling me that you, what? You met Bella and you're pissed that your brain doesn't register her as your mate because you spent so much time with me?! I'm not seeing the problem here, just stop hanging out with me and shove some vapor rub under your nose." 

He gave her a withering look and gently grasped her hips, pulling her to his chest. 

"If only it were that simple, Morticia. You see, I don't want her. Do you understand me? I. am. not. attracted. to. Bella. Swan. The only woman I'm attracted to is in my arms right now. I was in my own literal hell for the past week, going out of my mind with worry, watching over you, and wondering if I'd ever get the chance to tell you how I really felt."

Morticia swallowed the lump in her throat as she stared at Edward with wide eyes. 

"You don't know that. You're just confused because you've been spending so much time with me. Look, let's just take a breather, and maybe once you spend some time with Bella- without me, maybe you'll have some sort of delayed reaction." Her voice was shockingly even, while inside she was breaking. The idea of Edward getting close to Bella made her stomach turn and her eyes to sting.

Edward growled lowly and the sound made her insides warm, it was raw and primal.

"I have spent an entire week with her, there is no way there will ever progress more between us than acquaintances. Don't try to deflect your feelings because you think something may happen in the future. If you feel nothing for me then that's fine but I refuse to let you hide behind excuses."

Morticia tried to break the embrace but his arms pulled her in tighter.

"I'm not deflecting at all, I'm just being logical. You're supposed to be with Bella and I am just a tag-along in this story."

Edward just groaned lowly and shook his head, "Alice was right..."

Morticia raised a brow, "What do you mean? What about Al-"

"You really have no idea what you mean to this family, do you? How much you've changed us? The joy you've brought to our lives since you arrived?" He interrupted her, his voice full of disbelief. 

Morticia scoffed, "you've got to be joking. You guys probably think I'm a nut case. First I show up, claiming I know every fucking thing about you guys and then I lay out your lives for the next three years! Rosalie wanted to kill me when she first met me and you did too if I remember! You avoided me like the plague! Besides, who am I to break up the twenty-first century's Romeo and Juliet couple?! Trust me on this I will be nothing but a me-"

Her words were cut off as Edward took her face firmly in his hands and brought her into a searing kiss.

It wasn't awkwardly slow as the movie made it out to be. No, this kiss was full of heat and passion. Gone was the shy timid Edward who held himself back and in his place was somebody who oozed confidence. One of his hands moved to cup the back of her head as he deepened the kiss, his tongue chasing hers as she tried to focus on not melting into a pile of goo on the floor.

He pulled back in a flash and gave her that crooked smile as she tried to compose herself from that emotional whiplash.

"Now are you ready to listen to what I have to say or do I need to convince you again."

"Um, uh," Morticia mumbled, still in shock as her legs still felt unsteady. 

Edward cupped her cheek gently once more, his eyes were full of emotion as they stared into hers and he brought their foreheads together, gently.

"I don't know how you did it, Morticia Addams, but you burrowed yourself under my skin and tore down all my walls in a matter of days. I've been on this earth for over a century and never have I met someone like you in my entire existence. I knew from the moment you trusted us with your demons that I'd never met a stronger, more brave woman and you proved me right when you faced Paul. Please believe me when I say that you are the one I want to spend eternity with, not Bella Swan or anyone else. Bella Swan is nothing compared to the way I feel when I'm around you. It nearly killed me, being so helpless as you lay on that table so cold and unmoving."

He slowly moved, giving her bandaged arm light kisses before he settled before her on his knees. 

"I beg you, despite all that you know about me, give me the chance to win your heart properly without the weight of those ridiculous books hanging over us. Please, don't dismiss me because of somebody else's words." His eyes were shining with emotion as he nuzzled his face in her stomach as his arms wrapped around her once more.

'How could anybody say no to a proposal like that? How many women would kill to have Edward fucking Cullen on his knees before them? Can I take that chance? Just say fuck it to Stephenie Meyer's world and risk having a beautiful life here with Edward.'

She knew that she would most likely spend the rest of her days in the Twilight universe, but she never thought Edward would ever be interested in her at all. 

All the times she spent with him up until that point came rushing through her mind and she felt herself yearning to have more of those moments. Laughing as they teased the other Cullens, playing piano together, cuddling and watching movies on the couch, sending loving glances at each other during school....She wanted all of that.

Damnit, she was falling in love with Edward Cullen. She may even be all the way in love with him. 

'I hope somehow you can learn to forgive me, Bella.' She sighed and ran her fingers through his hair, gently playing with the silky strands and whispered lowly so only he would hear, "Ok...I'll give us a chance."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So......that happened!!! They finally realized what was right in front of their faces. Who's already planning the wedding??


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is the aftermath of the last chapter's epic revelation! Here we get to see how Morticia and Edward navigate the beginnings of a relationship and learn a surprising talent of Morticia's

Author's note:

Hello, all! Sorry, this chapter took so long to get up-I was storyboarding ideas! I know this chapter is on the shorter side but I saw it as more of a filler chapter and hopefully, the next one will be longer as I plan to have both Edward's pov of this chapter and maybe even a Bella pov of events to come. As always, I hope you all enjoy and well wishes to you all! Thanks for reading!

Previously on Once Upon a Dream

'I hope somehow you can learn to forgive me, Bella.' She sighed and ran her fingers through his hair, gently playing with the silky strands and whispered lowly so only he would hear, "Ok...I'll give us a chance."

(Morticia Pov)

Edward jerked back in surprise, his eyes full of disbelief.

"you.." He trailed off as he rose to his feet slowly and took her face in his hands.

Staring intensely into her eyes he whispered pleadingly, "Please tell me that I heard you correctly."

Morticia smiled slightly and brought her hand up to cup his jaw, gently. "I said I'll give you your chance. Geez, maybe you need to clean out your years after a decade or two, grandpa."

He growled low in his throat before his arms came up to cage her in an embrace and pinning her back to his chest.

"Are you calling me old, Morticia?" His breath fanned the side of her face as she laughed.

Craning her head slightly to look at him, "And what are you gonna do if I did? You're not very terrifying, ya know? You're like a brooding vampire puppy- without the fangs."

He gave her an offended look, "You did not just compare me to a dog..."

Morticia shrugged, "A puppy, they're cuter."

"I am not cute, I am a terrifying vampire," Edward said slowly.

Morticia patted his face lightly, "Sure you are honey, and I'm a fairy princess in a bright pink tutu."

Edward growled again and flashed them to the other side of the room.

"Can a puppy do that?" He asked as he pressed her against the wall causing her to gasp.

"Honey, try as much as you like- but I don't scare easy. You'll have to try much harder than super speed or growling." She said in a sickly sweet tone causing him to pout at her.

"Hey, Mr. pouty, don't be sad. The cute puppy look works for you. Imagine how much your sexy factor would increase if you were actually dangerous....you'd have more than Jessica or Lauren after you." She said running her fingertip over his pout.

He playfully nipped at her finger, making her gasp again. "There's only one woman that I want...even if she loves attacking my ego." He buried his face into her shoulder as she chuckled.

"You didn't really think that would change all because you suddenly decided to give me a romantic declaration, did you?"

He breathed out a laugh and pulled back to cup her face again. Their eyes locked and it was as if a missing piece was finally put to the rest of the puzzle. 

She knew that this thing between her and Edward was going to either be something royally epic or a tragedy worthy of a Shakespeare play, but something told her this wasn't going to be a mistake. 

He could've chosen to play out his happy romance with Bella while she was comatose but he chose to stay by her side instead. What made this man want to be with her when she basically handed him his one true love on a silver platter?

"Stop." Edward's voice broke her out of her mental spiral.

"What?" She asked him, hoping to sound nonchalant.

He gave her a knowing look, "You're overthinking everything. So stop overthinking this..us"

Morticia gave him an incredulous look, "This coming from the guy who literally goes through life as if it were a chess match, thinking four steps ahead? Besides, I thought you couldn't read my mind?" 

"I may not be able to read your mind, but I can ready your expressions quite well now. I know it's all very ironic, but can you blame me for being too happy to care about the consequences right now? I've waited decades to finally find somebody to share this life with."

She gave him a sheepish look, "I know, it's just... I can't help like I'm stealing you from Bella."

Edward sighed," I tried to give Bella a chance, truly I did. But you can ask Jasper- there just wasn't a connection. Nothing compared to what I'm feeling right now."

She blushed, "But still there's now the worry that the story may not continue as it was written, Edward. I would rather not have millions of Twilight fans hating my guts because I fucked up the plot of their favorite vampire romance because I seduced the male lead!"

He chuckled and pulled her into an embrace, "How could they blame me? You're a very distracting woman, Morticia. Any man would have to be blind not to notice you."

Her blush deepened at the compliment. One thing was sure about Morticia, she could dish out all the compliments but receiving them was an Olympic hurdle for her. 

"You're just saying that because my blood smells like the best cocktail ever in case you want to go on a bender." She muttered into his marble chest.

She could feel him inhale deeply, "Can we not discuss the idea of me ever smelling or seeing your blood outside its natural host please, I'd like to preserve this night as a happy memory." 

"Yes, happy for you but nerve-wracking for me." She groaned quietly.

"I think we can both agree that it turned out for the best though, right?" He asked as his fingers ran through her hair, soothing her until she was nearly into slumber.

She pulled back slightly to look up at him, "Yeah. I think it did. Maybe tonight can be a happy memory for me too," She spoke before yawning halfway through. Even though she had just woken from a seven-day coma, she was somehow tired? 

'What the hell? What kind of logic is that?'

He gave her that smile she loved so much and then picked her up in a bridal carry.

"What are you doing?!" She cried out as he made his way across the floor.

"You are tired, love, and as much as I adore the idea of you sleeping in my room- the couch is much too narrow, you'll never be comfortable." He explained as they came to the familiar door to her guest room.

Edward set her on her feet and put his hands awkwardly in his pockets. "Um, if you'd like some privacy I understand, I can-"

Morticia cut him off by dragging him into the room and shutting the door behind them.

"Look, I get what I said about the whole no watching me sleep thing, but that was before we decided to try this whole relationship thing. I know if I tell you to leave you will, but you will be stationed right outside my door the entire night, listening to me sleep." She said as she went to the dresser and grabbed some night clothes that Alice most definitely placed here for such occasions. 

His silence gave her all the answer she needed. Turning back to him she said, "So why don't we both just skip the awkwardness and just sleep here. I know you aren't going to cop a feel tonight and I'm not ready to go that fast anyway. Even though we both know you saw what I look like topless thanks to Alice, there's no way in hell you are getting a show seconds after the relationship has been established- those come later if you behave."

Not waiting for a response she smiled at his bewildered expression, then quickly rushed to get ready for bed, coming back into the room to find Edward lounging on her bed covers waiting for her.

"I'm going to try and not think about how creepy it is that you don't sleep." She said as she pulled back the covers to get into bed.

He chuckled as she settled herself and turned to face her, "It does take some getting used to but after a while, you just get used to it."

"Still, isn't it gonna get boring just laying there while I sleep? Wouldn't you rather be doing something else? I swear I am not that entertaining while I'm sleeping."

Edward moved to brush his fingers along her face, "I assure you, there's nothing I'd love more than watching you sleep peacefully as opposed to watching you as I have these past few days."

She looked away, shamefully, as he continued, "Especially since I can consider you my girlfriend now."

Morticia shuddered at the pet-name. "Ugh, girlfriend." At Edward's crestfallen look she elaborated, "I just hate that term. It's so...immature and overused."

Edward's face seemed to brighten as he brought his face closer to hers, "Well then, I suppose I'll have to come up with something more original...Cara mia." He practically purred the endearment and she was shocked to say that she almost melted right then. 

Many guys had tried to use that as a cheesy pick-up line when she was in college, but none of them had the effect that Edward's voice did. She now understood the notion of a 'panty-dropper' 

Morticia shrieked with laughter as Edward began placing kisses gently along her injured arm up to her shoulder.

Her laughter was cut off as he placed his lips over hers. Their lips meeting in a choreographed dance as if they'd been doing it for years. 

When he pulled back, Morticia stared up at him with loving eyes. Never before had she been so happy and full of hope for what the future may hold. The thought scared her even more. She knew the world could be cruel, especially when everything seemed to be going well. But looking into his eyes, seeing them so full of raw emotion, she knew she'd never face any of those challenges alone- because she was never leaving him.

Was it crazy to feel this intense attachment to somebody this early? Hell yes. Did it infuriate her inner independent woman? Fuck yeah! Did it make her inner hopeless romantic cry happy tears? You bet your sweet ass it did. 

Who cares if this is "crazy." Love itself is crazy, and she was in a vampire romance novel for fuck's sake! She deserved some happiness amongst all the supernatural shit she's exposed to!

Cuddling up to Edward's side, she fell asleep with a smile on her face and had no dreams to interrupt her happy mood. 

The next morning Morticia woke up to ice-cold kisses on her face. Blinking her eyes open, her vision focused to show Edward's beaming smile above her.

"Good morning, Cara Mia." He said teasingly, causing Morticia to groan and hit him with the nearest pillow.

"Shut up! Even you can't be that cliche!" She said as she pelted him with Alice's carefully picked out throw pillows.

Laughing as he dodged her attempts, he quickly gathered her in his arms. "No, I rather think not. However, I did come up with a better one while you were asleep. Would you like to hear it?"

Rolling her eyes and sighing she replied, "oh, I guess so. You couldn't have created one worse than I've already heard."

"Well I'm not sure how original it is but... I think you are the epitome of Sleeping Beauty. In fact, I'd say the fairy tale pales in comparison to you."

Morticia's face burned scarlet as she tried to come up with a response. Coming up empty, she decided to say "Shut up," before chucking the last pillow at his head and running into the bathroom. She knew that was a lame response but what else could she do when a vampire was telling her she was more beautiful than a fairytale princess?

'Come on Morticia, Don't let him get to you like that! You could flirt circles around his ass any day of the week!'

She took a few moments to gather herself in the bathroom before finishing her human needs and walking back into the room. Edward had just put his phone in his pocket as she exited the bathroom.

"That was Carlisle, he said he'd be here any moment to check how your wound is healing. The others will be returning as well."

Morticia nodded, "And I can guess that Alice already spilled the beans about us right?" He raised his eyebrow as if to say 'you thought she wouldn't?' and she groaned, "Great, just great." 

It only took Carlisle about five minutes to get to the house. He met them as they were heading into the kitchen.

"Ah, so here's where my patient disappeared to," Carlisle said teasingly as Edward made Morticia a cup of coffee.

Morticia rolled her eyes, "Hey, I didn't have one of those stupid hospital bracelets on so I assumed I was free to go!"

He chuckled as he motioned for her to take a seat at the table. 

"You can do as you please, just let me see how your stitches are holding up." 

As they settled at the table, the rest of the Cullens sauntered into the kitchen- Jasper looking very pleased with himself and Emmett looking very sullen.

"What the hell happened here?" She asked as she gestured between the two of them.

Rosalie sighed, "Jasper won a bet that he and Emmett made."

Morticia raised a brow at them, "ok, I'll bite. What was the bet about?"

Edward chuckled as he placed her cup in front of her, "I think it was about us, my love."

She froze as she picked up the cup to take a drink of her coffee. This was the first time he'd addressed her like that in front of his family.

"See, I told you, Emmett. Morticia wasn't going to kill our dear brother." Jasper said knowingly as Emmett muttered something about 'stupid empaths'

Morticia shook her head, "So you guys made a bet to what? See if I'd kill your resident telepath?"

Emmett just pouted, crossing his arms. "No, I said that there's no way you were going to end up dating after the fight. You are way too stubborn and so is my brother. But the ONE time you decide to be different I lose $300 to cowboy here." He jerked his thumb at a smirking Jasper.

"You didn't feel all the sexual tension from them, brother...It was inevitable, all they needed was a little push to get the ball rolling." Jasper said mischievously.

Morticia looked at him shocked, "Jasper are you saying that you?-"

"Oh lord no-no manipulation from me, darlin'," he said with a wave of his hand. "My wife, however.... she is her own woman."

Morticia stared at the empath with astonishment at Alice, "wait, so Alice... did you?"

Alice gave her an impish smile, "Well when I saw you waking up I may have prompted Edward to head back home when I also saw how worried you'd be about him."

Morticia swung her gaze from Alice back to Jasper, before finally settling her gaze on her now vampire lover. 

"So that entire conversation we had last night was staged?! What the hell, Edward?!" The vampire in question had a slight smile on his face.

"Not staged love, just...directed in a specific direction." He gave her a tender look as he took her hand and kissed it just as sweetly. "you can't blame me for wanting some payback for the stunt you pulled with the wolves, can you?"

She didn't know what to say to that, had she just been played by the Cullens? Actually she was more upset at the fact that she didn't see it before! Alice had Carlisle's keys at the ready for fuck's sake, knowing she'd go to Edward.

"What...huh? Was that conversation even real last night?" She was stunned into disbelief and Edward was quick to backtrack.

"No, no love. Last night was every bit genuine how I feel, Alice only saw you coming to see me. Anything that we decided to talk about, she never saw it."

Alice chimed in, "Yeah, Morticia. I only saw you going to Edward and finally talking but the conversation topic was all a blur. I guess neither of you guys decided on what you truly wanted to say until you saw each other. Besides, I was surrounded by wolves all night so my visions were very quiet." 

Morticia actually chuckled despite her emotional whiplash, "I bet that was a nice change for the psychic in the family, having some peace and quiet from those sudden visions."

Alice beamed at her from Jasper's side, "It gave me time to focus on other things, especially your homecoming dress," Her smile turned into a smirk. 

Morticia's expression deadpanned as Esme decided to break up the charming reunion. 

"Alright, that's enough teasing. I think Carlisle would like to check her wounds and you all need to find something else to occupy your time- not what you're thinking Emmett Cullen." She added that last thought as Emmett's face broke out into a huge grin and he was likely to say something wildly inappropriate. 

"Wait!" Morticia cried before they all disbanded, "Are you sure we should do this here? In the house? What about Jasper, I don't want to make him feel uncomfortable with the blood smell. You know how he is, he feels not only his bloodlust but yours."

The vampires looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean, Morticia?" Carlisle asked as he turned to his 'youngest' son.

'How many decades has Japer been with them and not one of them brought this up? Unbelievable.'

Morticia sighed before she began to explain. "look you all assume that Jasper is so hard to control his bloodlust because he's the last one to switch to your diet, right? Well. that's not really the only reason he has it so rough."

No one said anything for a moment and then Jasper spoke up as he grabbed Alice's hand in a white knuckle grip.

"Morticia, what are you sayin'?" He asked her. She smiled at him gently, "You helped me through my emotional turmoil, so let me return the favor Cowboy." 

Turning to the others she continued, "Basically it's like this- whenever you guys get a sudden urge to snack, not only do you feel it- Jasper does too. That means that not only does he have to regulate everyone else's cravings, he probably barely has time to control his own. The bottom line is, Jasper's on a cravings overload because he's surrounded by your guy's bloodlust every single day. You aren't weak Jasper, quite the opposite. Your gift is harder to control than anyone else's so quit being so hard on yourself. You're Major Jasper Whitlock for heaven's sake, you've taken down countless newborns but a tiny drop of blood causes you to lose your cool. I don't buy it, dude. Your control is way better than you get credit for and if anyone has a problem with it- ask Peter and Charlotte, they'll tell you what a badass Jasper can be." She purposely said the last few statements to the southern vampire as he seemingly blushed under her praise. 

"How- how have I never connected those dots before?" Jasper asked disbelievingly, turning to Alice who looked just as shocked as he was at the news.

Morticia chuckled, "I have no idea, cowboy, I'm just trying to keep you from making me a not so happy meal just because somebody thinks I smell delicious." Her stare was set on Edward now.

Jasper chuckled, "I think if I can survive you nearly bleeding to death on the reservation while many of my family were present, then I think some bloody bandages will be just fine." 

She cringed at the mental image that displayed but shrugged it off, she couldn't live in the past forever. 

Turning to Carlisle she nodded at him, "Well if no one has a problem with it I guess we can go ahead Doc."

"I know it's been a week so let's not expect too much, but here's hoping," Carlisle said softly as he began unwrapping her bandage.

His brow began to furrow with each pass he took around her arm.

"uh, Doc. I'm not sure if I really like that face you're making right now." She said, worried as she glanced down at her unblemished arm.

'wait, unblemished arm?! What the hell? It looks like nothing happened!' She panicked.

Morticia stared at her arm in disbelief, "Carlisle, I'm not crazy right? You saw what this looked like when I was unconscious..." Running her hand down the pale skin she continued, "Damn, no wonder I wasn't feeling any pain. And here I thought you just gave me some really powerful painkillers"

Carlisle shared a similar look of disbelief, "I had noticed you were healing slightly quicker than normal, but I attributed it to the superb antibiotics and round the clock care, but this... It's as if the accident never happened at all and your skin has rejected all the stitches with no infection present! They just fell off with the gauze...it's incredible."

The other Cullens stared in shock as well. There was no way a human could heal so quickly that fast. 

Morticia immediately stiffened as she stared at the doctor in front of her, hearing the awe mixed with curiosity in his voice, "I want to make this very clear, Dr. Fang. You may be dreamy and you may have saved my life, but no way in hell are you turning me into a science experiment!"

Carlisle chuckled, despite his shock and gave her a smile, "I wouldn't ask that of you Morticia, although I am curious what prompted such fast regeneration of your epithelial cells. The cut was so deep it nearly cut into the muscle underneath. That coupled with the infection early on should've put you into at least three weeks of recovery, maybe more. I wasn't even sure if the stitches would be able to come out yet." 

Jasper spoke up from the side of the room," Remember when we first met her Carlisle, and I said that her blood smelt different to other humans...maybe that is connected to this."

Morticia frowned at the thought, 'Why don't I smell human? What else is there to smell like?'

Carlisle sighed, "I'm not sure. I agree that your blood does have a rather perplexing smell to it. It does smell similar to humans but not entirely. I had thought it was because you were from a different timeline but now I'm not so sure with the advanced healing. It's almost similar to the wolves." 

"There's no way in hell that I'm a wolf, Carlisle! Maybe it was just a fluke. Maybe my weird blood smell is just because I'm not supposed to be in the story but Edward isn't phased because I'm his singer. Maybe the advanced healing thing was just because Carlisle is a really, really good doctor?" Her voice sounded hopeful but inside she knew that her explanations here crap.

Edward gave her. concerned look as he grabbed her hand again, "Human or not, this changes nothing." Turning to Carlisle he added, "This isn't something we need to worry about now, is it?"

Carlisle thought for a moment before nodding his head, "I see no need to worry about it now. We already planned to keep watch over your health and at the same time I can check for any abnormalities."

Morticia sighed gratefully and leaned her head into Edward's shoulder. The less she had to worry about the better. Edward's calming embrace did little to ease er inner worries though. 

'What the hell was she if the wasn't human? I feel human, I act human! Suddenly I've got advanced healing and weird blood, so what?! If that's my superpower, I got robbed! Somebody phone Professor X, I want a fucking refund.' She mused to herself as the others started talking at vampire speed amongst themselves. 

"Well, I guess this means that I can officially clear you to go back to school," Carlisle said, pulling her out of her thoughts. "You'll still need to wear the gauze, for appearances."

Morticia nodded in understanding and Emmett burst out laughing. They all turned to look at him with confused looks.

"Sorry, I was just imagining Morticia going back to class and meeting Bella for the first time." He wheezed slightly, "If it's anything like Edward's encounter I want popcorn- even though I won't eat it."

Rosalie slapped him gently on the back of the head, making him cry out.

'Oh, shit.' She thought to herself as Emmett's words finally sunk in. 'I haven't met Bella yet, at least not face to face...and I'm dating her would-be husband!'

"Especially since you guys are official, I have to agree with Emmett- Morticia going back to Forks high will definitely be something we don't want to miss," Jasper said with a smirk to Alice who giggled.

'Sweet Jesus, help me with this crazy family.' She thought as st groaned into Edward's shoulder.

He laughed then whispered softly to her, "I have to admit, I am excited to hear all the jealous thoughts of your potential suitors as well when they find out that I snatched you out of their grasp."

Morticia just shook her head, It was bad enough that she had to worry about meeting the girl whose future husband she stole, now she had to worry about the relationship bomb that was about to drop at Forks high the next day. Her brain began to fill with all the possible scenarios of how this could go horribly wrong as she burrowed deeper into Edward's embrace as the sounds around her faded into the background.

'I really hope I don't end up in a catfight...especially not with Bella Swan of all people.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So..... any ideas for what Morticia is? Leave me a comment below with your ideas! Also, next chapter Bella and Morticia finally meet!! Who's excited?!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get to learn how the Cullens became so friendly with the wolves and Morticia finally gets to go back to Forks high

Author's note: Sorry for such a delay in updating! I just wanted to storyboard more ideas for the plotline and I didn't expect to wait this long before uploading! Please keep commenting your theories, I love reading them and as always, thanks for reading!!

(Morticia's Pov)

The rest of the day was quite dull compared to the past 24 hours, at least in Morticia's opinion. 

After that shocking revelation of Morticia's abrupt healing, the Cullen's decided to fill her in on what she missed during her coma.

"So how exactly did you and the wolves become all...friendly, all of a sudden? Before all of this, I would've guessed it's be a cold day in hell before I could get any of you in a room together." She said as the group settled into the living room. She cuddled into Edward's side on the love seat by the piano as Emmett let out a booming laugh.

"That is one hell of a story, little sis. We couldn't have done it without your little, uh, accident." 

Morticia raised her brow as Carlisle chimed in, "What Emmett means is your injury prompted the wolves to reach out to us and it gave them the prompting needed to make changes necessary."

Jasper chuckled from his seat next to Alice, "I've never felt such fear and anxiety in one room, and we've gone through high school how many times now?"

Everybody chuckled at the thought before they all dove into their individual stories involving the wolf pack. Esme had made friends with the wives of the wolves and apparently had the boys 'howling' for more of her double chocolate brownies. When Morticia questioned her sudden cooking expertise Esme blushed, "I may have accidentally doubled the amount of chocolate needed for the recipe, but the boys didn't seem to mind! They all thought they were some special kind of recipe, and I didn't have the heart to tell them any different."

Morticia raised an eyebrow at the Cullen matriarch, "And all this time, I thought that chocolate was bad for dogs, Esme!" Rosalie huffed out a laugh, "Yeah, you wouldn't believe how much those dogs eat! it's disgusting, even for teenage boys," her nose scrunched up at the thought.

Jasper and Emmett told her how they decided to teach some of the wolves some self-control methods and start some basic training. "I gotta admit it's pretty fun to train the pups, they've got potential," Jasper admitted as he turned towards Alice. "Even if we have to endure their......odor."

Morticia chuckled at Jasper's attempts to keep his gentlemanly demeanor, not to say that didn't work for them but she knew wet dog smell- and she wouldn't exactly call it a simple odor.

Turning to Edward, she raised her eyebrow. "And let me guess, you annoyed the hell out of them by telling the others what they were thinking in wolf form, didn't you."

He gave her a sheepish look as he pulled her into his chest and kissed the crown of her head.

"They are rather interesting to read, but I'd give anything to see even a glimpse inside your thoughts," He whispered gently in her ear, causing her to blush slightly.

It still amazed her that Edward couldn't read her thoughts. She was pretty sure that Jasper could sense her emotions and Alice was able to see her in visions, at least when she wasn't near the wolves. So why was Edward's power any different. She couldn't be a shield, could she?

Alice spoke up then, bringing Morticia out of her inner musings. 

"Morticia, I think we need to discuss another very important thing......shopping for your homecoming dress! Homecoming is just two weeks away so we need to get started as soon as possible." 

Morticia knew Alice was changing the subject to a 'brighter' subject but deep down, she understood that Alice was still hurt by what she'd done. She needed to set things right again with her psychic vampire best friend.

"Of course, Alice. I already know you've probably seen me in the dress, but I'll humor you none the less." Morticia smirked as Alice laughed and launched herself into Morticia's arms for a hug.

"I'm so glad you're safe." She whispered to Morticia before they pulled away.

Holding Alice's hands, she replied, "me too, Alice. I don't know what Loverboy would've done without me to straighten him out every so often."

Her teasing made the others chuckle and Edward caged her in an embrace, growling softly.

Morticia shook her head with laughter, "oops. Sorry, I meant 'scarry loverboy.' That's much better." 

Edward gave her a pout as she nestled into his embrace again. "At least you didn't call me cute," he murmured into her hair, breathing in the scent of her hair as he settled himself.

Enjoying the peaceful silence, Morticia sighed happily but then a thought occurred to her as she noticed how much time had passed. 

"Wait, What about Tony? I know Caleb knows everything, but what do I tell Tony. God, I bet he is worried sick!" Morticia cried as she moved to get up from the couch.

Edward allowed her to move but Esme's voice stopped her where she stood.

"There's nothing to worry about. Tony believes you got into an accident on the reservation and that Carlisle opened his home to help heal you. When he was visiting last on the reservation, Alice asked him if it would be alright if you stayed with us for a short time after you awoke, just to make sure you didn't have any lingering ailments. He wholeheartedly agreed once Carlisle began spouting possible scenarios in what you call...uh, 'doctor language?'" Esme brought up her hand to smother her chuckle as Carlisle turned to her in mock disbelief.

"And here I thought that my acting was superb, my love." Carlisle brought his hand to his chest in mock hurt.

Morticia laughed at the comedic display and turned to the pixie in question.

"You do know that my uncle is a Deputy, right? Do you really think he's gonna be ok with me staying here after the gossip mill get to tell him that I'm dating your brother?" 

Alice just smiled, that signature all-knowing smile. "Oh, I think he'll have some reservations about it but I think it will all work out in the end, besides, I think he's rather fond of my brother."

'Yeah he was until he finds out loverboy has a thing for his niece, who he thinks of as a daughter. Yeah, I see that going over very well. Not.' She thought as she raised her brow, assessing Alice's smug grin.

Morticia sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose and closing her eyes, "I'm not even going to ask if you brought me clothes. Alice?"

"Already in your armoire. I'd suggest the long, black lace overdress with the black sating slip dress underneath for tomorrow. It'll make quite the impression, oh and go with your platforms, it'll make it easier so Edward doesn't have to lean down as far to kiss you."

Morticia instantly opened her eyes to glare at the pixie, who just gave her another grin.

'ooohhh, pixie. You are playing a dangerous game, here.' She thought, irritated as she turned to her lover, who also had a smug grin on his face.

"What the fuck are you grinning about? Those platform boots are practically steel-toed, so I'd watch out if I were you. I may have a muscle spasm and damage something special of yours." Her threat was obvious and it made his grin widen as he made his way towards her.

She hated to admit it but without her heels or platforms, she really did have to tilt up quite a bit to look at him.

'I'm not short, damnit. He's just a giant!' She told herself, trying to patch some of her ego.

"Now love, no need to be mean. I happen to love your height, it makes it easier for me to things like this." He quickly placed his arms under her ass and lifted her up into his arms, swinging her around gently as she grabbed onto his shoulders for support. 

The move made her eye level with him and his golden orbs were sparkling with mischief. She never thought of herself as an eye person, but she didn't think she could ever stop looking at Edward's.

He smirked at her and raised a brow as if asking her, 'am I cute now?' She rolled her eyes.

"Ok, we get it, you're a freakishly tall vampire, and I a measly human at your will. Can you please put me down so that I can try to wrap my head around what the hell I'm about to walk into tomorrow morning?" 

He set her on her feet gently but kept her in his arms. "As if I'd let anything happen to you," his tone was teasing but she knew he could fulfill on any threat that dare come their way. It made a chill go down her spine at the thought.

'Huh, I guess that's what they mean about the 'bad boy' appeal. Not that Edward has a bad boy appearance, but he totally has the moody/broody stare to an art. Now I can see why so many human teenage girls are helpless to his charms, one painful look from him and that would pull at my heartstrings too.' She mused as the Cullens decided to retire to their respective rooms. 

After the excitement of the past, well, week, she thought everybody deserved some needed downtime to themselves. 

"Be sure to leave the door open! We wouldn't want any funny business happening!" Emmett called out as she and Edward moved towards the staircase.

Morticia turned and gave him a smug look, "Why, Emmett? Are you worried you might be shown up in that department?"

Emmett's smug face melted into a mask of shock and Rosalie nearly howled with laughter.

"I think she'll fit in just right with the rest of us," Jasper said in that signature southern drawl as he laughed with Alice.

Taking Edward's hand in hers, she nodded at the others and made her way up the stairs to her familiar room.

"You know, I really need to get Alice to order a bed for my room." Edward mused as Alice's voice could be heard from down the hall, "Already did it. It arrives tomorrow!"

Not at all phased by the Pixie's statement, Morticia asked, "Why would you care that you don't have a bed in your room? I can just sleep in this one, it isn't a big deal."

Edward paused slightly in thought, "I think it's more the principle than anything. When I'm around you, it makes me feel more human."

Morticia was stunned. 'Make him feel more human? What? Hate to burst that bubble but from where I'm standing he looks pretty immortal to me.'

He looked slightly worried and almost flushed as he continued, "And I don't think It needs reminding that I see inside teenage boys' minds daily, and a recurring thought is getting their girlfriends into their bed, so humor me, would you? Even if I can't physically sleep, the thought is enough."

Morticia's eyes widened astronomically as she burst out laughing. "I knew there was some underlying reason you wanted one! I'm impressed that you admitted it!" 

Edward rubbed the back of his neck, anxiously as she continued to laugh. It took her a few moments to get herself settled and she gave him a teasing smile.

"Well, I'd be happy to play into my Loverboy's fantasy if there will be cuddling involved as well as heated blankets. You may be the best body pillow I've ever had, but I'd rather not freeze in the middle of the night." 

Somewhere in the distance Alice's voice rang out again, "I'm on it!"

They both turned in the direction of her voice with bemused expressions on their faces.

"That is incredibly handy, yet so very creepy at the same time," Morticia said quietly as she began to gather her things to settle in for the night. Rather than go for her more standard pajamas of a plain black tee and sleep shorts, she opted to go for something sexier this time. 

Alice had stocked her an array of lacy and silk nightgowns for her to chose from and the prime choice for the evening was a blood-red silk midi spaghetti strap piece that made her curves- yes she did have curves, thank you- look fabulous. 

Morticia quickly rushed into the bathroom before Edward could see what she had picked out and changed as quickly as she could.

She stared into the mirror as the doubt began seeping into her thoughts.

'What if he thinks I look hideous- wait I don't need his approval. But I want it badly. That's ridiculous, if he can't love me like this then fuck him.' She tried to argue with herself, but old habits die hard sometimes. She never had anybody to dress'sexy' for back home. Hell, she'd never really had a long term boyfriend before and no way was she letting some fumbling idiot pop her cherry in high school. She had some dignity at least. 

But this was different. This wasn't some quick hookup with a maybe-boyfriend in high school, no this was 'I'm trying to tease the hell out of my vampire lover to hopefully get a massive make-out session from this.' In no way was she ready to take things further with him, but teasing and touching were alright in her opinion. The idea of what could happen when she walked out of the bathroom made her shiver with excitement.

Giving herself one last look for reassurance, she pulled open the bathroom door and stepped outside.

Edward turned to greet her from his position on the bed and froze. 

She decided to strike a 'nonchalant' pose against the doorway as if to say, 'yes? Something different?'

His eyes widened as the moved over her from her black polished toes to the roots of her blonde hair.

"You- uh. You....Alice." He growled the name harshly and it made Morticia chuckle.

"You know, I have to admit. Alice has style. I never would've picked this up for myself but I think it's just darling, don't you Edward?" She gave a slight twirl and suddenly found herself in his arms again.

Gazing up at his eyes, she noticed the color seemed to be darker than before, a more intense amber color than the bright gold. 

"Words couldn't describe how beautiful you look right now, but love, you're really testing my restraint at the moment."

"Well, you heard Emmett downstairs, no funny business Mr. Cullen. I guess you'll just have to control yourself- or perhaps I could change, but that would put all of Alice's hard work to waste and that would be tragic." Her voice was sickly sweet as she took in his irritated gaze.

He groaned and buried his head in her shoulder, "I'm not sure whether to be angry with Alice for buying you this or thanking her."

Morticia chuckled, "Worry about it tomorrow. Some of us need to sleep," She pulled away and made her way to the bed as Edward flashed to the other side.

"Show off." She groaned as she settled herself under the covers. He gave her a smile and pulled her to his chest, "Always for you, my love."

The last thing she felt before sleep took her was his cold lips pressing into her hair.

~~~~~~Dream~~~~~

Instead of the usual disembodied voice Morticia usually heard, this time there was another voice. It was clearly female like before but it held a more, authoritative tone than the previous one. The scene was also different, instead of the dark shadows, Morticia found herself clearly in the forest but in some sort of hideout. The trees were clearly decorated in a purposeful fashion, decorated with beads, feathers, and paints. 

"Just give her a chance at a normal life here! Even you can't know what might happen if she is raised with the others!" The voice she recognized, called.

"She's already far too dangerous for her own good. You've seen what she can do already, can you imagine what might happen if she is surrounded by the others? No, we can't let this happen. It's for the best, you know it is." An unknown voice called back.

"You're taking away her choice! How can you justify taking her away from her family?" The familiar voice was full of anguish.

"I've seen what the future may hold, child, trust me when I say that this is the only way to ensure everyone's safety." The unknown voice was firm and cold.

"So, that's it then. Will, you at least let me say goodbye...she's my sister, please!" The familiar voice pleaded, full of raw emotion

Before Morticia could hear the response, a green light settled over the scene and her gaze was drawn to a tree on the far corner of the clearing. It was taller than the others and seemed to be the leader from which all the others sprouted, judging from the interconnected large roots. 

She cautiously approached the tree and noticed an impression in the bark, it looked like a dragon had been carved into the wood. The carving was clearly done by someone with a very delicate hand as when Morticia went running her fingers over it, she could feel the raised scales.

"Don't worry, sister dear, I have a plan. That old can believe whatever she thinks is right, but I won't let her destroy your happy ending." That familiar voice whispered to her as the carving began to glow a deep emerald under her fingertips. 

'My dreams just keep getting weirder and weirder.' She thought as she felt the familiar beginnings of the dream fading. 

~~~~~End Dream~~~~~

When Morticia woke slowly, it was anything but peaceful. Firstly, her god awful alarm made her rise from her deep slumber, and then she remembered what exactly went on in her subconscious the night before. The dream she had made her thoughts churn inside her head. 

'Who were they talking about? What decisions were made and what was up with those weird trees?' 

Edward gave her a concerned look but she just waved her hand, dismissively. There was no need to worry him about her overactive imagination.

"Weird dreams," was the only thing she said before she went to get herself ready for the day. Taking Alice's advice, she went with the lace overlay dress with a blood-red lip and a smokey eye. 

She quickly made her way downstairs with Edward to make a quick breakfast, neither of them commenting on her weird aura that she had floating around her. Morticia tried her best to shake it but as soon as she put it out of her mind, it would all come rushing back to her. 

Edward finally decided to corner her once they began the drive to school. 

"Morticia, please. Tell me what's bothering you? It's torture not being able to read your mind, especially now."

She sighed and gave him a grim smile, "I wasn't kidding when I said that I had some weird dreams last night. I guess I just put myself in a funk trying to figure it all out, sorry that I made you feel weird."

He reached across the console to grab her hand and laced their fingers together.

"Never feel sorry for telling me what's on your mind, actually I greatly encourage it. Any glimpse I can get into your mind is a blessing to me."

Morticia blushed slightly, gave him a small smile, and kissed the back of his hand. 

"You say that but when I get an annoying song stuck in my head, you'll change your mind."

Edward shook his head vigorously, "Never, I'll sing along to whatever song comes to your beautiful mind."

'oh wow,' She thought as she watched his side profile. 'he beats 'boyfriend material' completely out of this universe.'

Once they arrived at the high school parking lot, the nerves she expected to arrive were surprisingly scarce. She knew it couldn't have been Jasper, they were still at the house when they left. 

Taking a deep breath, she turned to Edward, "So, on a scale from one to ten- how likely is it that nobody will stare at us when we exit this vehicle?" 

He gave her his signature smile and pretended to think on it, "I'd say negative ten to that love." 

Morticia groaned as she reached for her bag, desperately not wanting to get out of the safety of the Volvo.

'They're going to stare anyway, why not give em' a show.' She thought with a sudden burst of glee at the thought of all the scandalized faces.

Edward noticed her change in demeanor and arched a brow as he opened her door, "What's got you feeling so happy all of a sudden, love?

She gave him a wide grin as she stepped from the car, "Oh, nothing. I just thought about how lucky I am to call you mine, loverboy." She didn't have to raise up much to press her lips to his.

The kiss started out sweet but turned intense when she turned her head slightly and ran her tongue over the seam of his cold lips. That must have triggered something in Edward, because the next thing to happen, he had her pressed against the passenger side door and brought up a hand to cup her head to tilt it back slightly, deepening the kiss further. She could feel herself getting light-headed and was thankful that somebody chose to whistle and catcall them so Edward pulled back, slightly embarrassed to have let himself go in public. 

She thought he looked downright sinful with his eyes wild and his hair slightly mused from her wandering fingers. Luckily she chose a lip stain this morning instead of her usual lipstick so he didn't have an embarrassing 'joker mouth' to deal with. 

Tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, she nuzzled into Edward's side when he put his arm around her and met the shocked gaze of their school mates head-on.

'hell yeah, bitches. Morticia Addams made out with THE Edward Cullen. Suck it' 

She was especially happy to see the shocked and sour look on Jessica and Lauren's faces as she passed and felt no shame at giving them a very dainty middle finger gesture as they passed.

'That may be petty, but I don't care. They made their bed, so go lay in it, bitches.' 

When they passed Edwars'd siblings, Emmett gave her a quick thumbs-up, Jasper and Rosalie gave her an impressed look, while Alice was giving them both a loving smile.

By lunch period, news of their show had traveled all across campus and nobody could keep their eyes off the new couple. Angela had asked her if she and Edward were a couple, to which she obviously said yes, but instead of being fake- Angela genuinely seemed interested in how they got together. 

She was worried that Jessica and Lauren would try to corner her at some point but with her obvious connection to the Cullens, they wisely chose not to antagonize her that day. Although they did send death glares from across classrooms, all of which were met with very vulgar gestures on her part. 

It wasn't until a class change that she met the infamous Bella Swan. 

Morticia was gathering her things at her locker when she heard somebody awkwardly shuffle next to her locker. Glancing next to her, she saw a girl who looked like a doppelganger of the Bella she expected. 

"Um, hey. I'm Bella- Bella Swan." The girl shuffled awkwardly where she stood. 

Morticia gave her a comforting smile, "Oh hey. You're chief Swan's daughter, right? Tony told me you'd be arriving pretty soon."

Bella nervously played with the ends of her hair, "Uh, yeah. That's me. I just wanted to introduce myself and to see how you were doing with everything. I talked to Edward in biology today when I heard you were back and I thought it was kinda weird that I never introduced myself- I'm rambling sorry. Gosh, this is going awful."

Morticia chuckled at the girl's obvious nerves, "Hey, I totally get it. Edward can be such a gossip queen so I wonder what he's told you."

Bella flushed, "Um, I'm really not trying to be creepy! It's just that I'm new here and Char- dad talked about your accident and I-"

Morticia cut her off with a wave of her hand, "Bella, chill. It's fine! At least you chose to come and ask me rather than running to somebody else and getting a highly fabricated version of the story."

Bella blushed and looked at her shoes, clearly uncomfortable at having her curiosity brought to light.

"well, to make a long story short, my dumbass self decided to go on a nature walk and ended up facing a rather nasty side of mother nature." Morticia tried to lighten the mood with her sardonic humor and thankfully it worked. 

Bella cracked a smile, "I'm glad you're ok, though. Edward was worried sick the entire week- sorry, is that weird- me talking about your boyfriend? sorry."

'Sweet Jesus this girl needs some serious confidence. And here I thought Angela was the meek one.' Morticia groaned as she watched Bella fumble for her words.

"Bella, seriously, chill. It's all good! Edward's a big boy and who he shows his moody side to is his business, girlfriend or no girlfriend." She chuckled the metal image Edward described in their first meeting. She knew she had nothing to worry about but watching Bella squirm was pretty funny. 

She could tell Bella was gathering her confidence to ask her something else when a voice called from behind them.

"Hey Bella! There you are! Come on, we're gonna be late for English!" That voice made Morticia's blood grow cold. 

That voice sounded exactly like the voice she had heard in her dream, that she had been hearing for weeks.

'It couldn't be, could it? That's insane.' She thought as they both turned towards the voice.

A small girl with long brown hair and bright green eyes smiled at them as she quickly ran to catch up. She had delicate features, a cute button nose, and lips that mimicked pink flower petals. The girl was wearing a short hunter green dress with brown ankle boots and a matching cardigan

'I am getting massive earthy, spirit vibes from this girl' She thought as the girl approached them.

"Uh, hey Fauna. I'll be there in a second, I just wanted to talk to Morticia for a bit. Oh, Morticia, this is my cousin Fauna."

'A cousin? That wasn't in the script? Hmm, wonder what her deal is.' She thought as Fauna turned to her with a grin.

"Oh, so you're the famous Morticia that I've heard so much about." 

When Fauna said Morticia's name it was like a lightbulb went off inside her head as she stiffened. She was certain that was the voice that's been haunting her dreams

'Why the hell is Bella's cousin's voice in my dreams? Maybe I'm overthinking things, maybe it's just a coincidence. Loads of people have voices that sound similar.' She thought as she tried to rationalize the situation and give herself some hope that her dreams were just a weird figment of her imagination.

Her hope died, however, when Fauna turned to her with an intensely serious look on her face. "I've been waiting to meet you for ages! I think we'll have a lot in common, Morticia."

'um.....what the fuck does that mean?' Morticia had a feeling that this 'simple' love story between a vampire and a human just got a whole lot more complicated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it isn't as long of a chapter as I would've liked but I hated not posting anything for so long! So what do you guys think of Fauna?? How will she play into the story??


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, Morticia has another weird vision, confronts Alice about Fauna, and plays matchmaker for Bella.

AUTHORS NOTE*Hello, all! I know it's been a hot minute since I updated but I've had a serious case of writer's block and I've been trying to work through it! I know this chapter is on the shorter side but trust me it's worth a read! Best wishes to all, enjoy!

Previously on 'Once Upon A Dream'

When Fauna said Morticia's name it was like a lightbulb went off inside her head as she stiffened. She was certain that was the voice that's been haunting her dreams

'Why the hell is Bella's cousin's voice in my dreams? Maybe I'm overthinking things, maybe it's just a coincidence. Loads of people have voices that sound similar.' She thought as she tried to rationalize the situation and give herself some hope that her dreams were just a weird figment of her imagination.

Her hope died, however, when Fauna turned to her with an intensely serious look on her face. "I've been waiting to meet you for ages! I think we'll have a lot in common, Morticia."

'um.....what the fuck does that mean?' Morticia had a feeling that this 'simple' love story between a vampire and a human just got a whole lot more complicated.

(Morticia Pov)

Morticia quickly shook herself out of her shock when Fauna held out a hand to her. There was something in Fauna's eyes that made her pause before she shook it. 

It was almost as if Fauna was testing her to see if she'd actually take her hand.

When their hands touched, Morticia immediately regretted it. 

To describe what happened, She could only relate it to what Alice must feel when she has a vision. Morticia, however, did not possess years of training so her 'vision' was really just a bunch of blurred scenes and voices.

~~~~Vision~~~~~

The scene looked like something out of a period movie, the castle furnished in blood red and trimmed in black. She immediately recognized Aro and his brothers sitting on identical thrones in the middle of the room. 

Aro spoke to a footman next to the steps. "Dear, Felix, tell us...What is the status of the mission I assigned you?"

Felix bowed his head, "The mission was successful, My king. They were all eliminated, no survivors left."

Aro gave a chilling laugh, "Perfect! Absolutely Marvelous!" 

The scene changed to a forest. It was very dark, and it was clearly raining.

A girl who looked exactly like Fauna in period type clothing was running as fast as she could, her only light was a small lantern that she kept close. 

The Fauna look-a-like kept glancing behind her every so often and then she looked down at her arms. For the first time, Morticia actually got a look at what Fauna was carrying with her...it was a baby, swaddled in a blanket.

"Hush now, little one. You're safe! No matter what Stephen or Flora says- I'll take care of you dear." She smiled fondly at the child and then hurried off in another direction as voices grew closer.

"I think she went this way," A voice called out and the next voice to respond was another one Morticia recognized.

"We have to find her- by any means necessary. If she teaches that child... we'll have worse than the Volturi to fear..."

"Stephen... what if...What if Fauna was right? What if that baby really was our salvation and not our destroyer?" A different voice called out. 

The 'Stephen' person replied, "There's no child that looks like that and is called a savior...you saw those horns. You heard the prophecy. She's a demon, a plague upon our people. She deserved what she got." He all but spit the words and Morticia didn't need to see his face to know he was sneering at the others.

~~~End Vision~~~

Before he could say anything else, Morticia's vision shifted and suddenly she was back in the hall at Forks high with Bella looking at her worriedly.

"Morticia? Morticia? Are you ok? You kind of spaced out for a minute there, we uh, got worried."

Morticia shook herself quickly and gave Bella a quick smile. "Yeah, I'm totally fine. I just had a lot on my mind just then, sorry."

It was a total lie, she was most definitely not fine, but she wasn't about to show any weakness with Fauna standing so close.

Fauna was giving her a look of astonishment mixed with excitement. Had she meant to give her those visions? What was all of that?

Morticia cleared her throat slightly and made to excuse herself as politely as possible, even though in reality she wanted to run out of there like a bat out of hell.

"Uh, you know I totally remembered that I have an art assignment due soon and I haven't even started. Do you care if we put a raincheck on this conversation?" Bella gave her a tiny nod and Morticia had to tell herself to walk calmly down the hall instead of run.

Fauna called out to her as she walked away, "Wait, Morticia," but she didn't turn around. She remembered Alice saying that she had art this period, thank god, and after she rounded the corner, she bolted for the art room.

Not surprising to her, Alice was standing outside the art room with a very concerned Edward standing to her right.

"Morticia, What's going on, love? Alice told me that you had an issue with another student?" His eyes were full of worry and concern. Morticia sighed and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Can you give us some girl time, Loverboy? I really need to get Alice's opinion on this before I call the big 'family meeting' card." 

Edward still looked unsure so she gave him a feather-light kiss on the lips this time and caressed his cheek lightly, "I promise, it'll only be a few minutes. you can flashback here as soon as we're done."

He leaned in and gave her forehead a tender kiss, gave Alice a pointed stare, and walked quickly down the hall.

Turning to Alice, she finally let her heavily guarded wall down and proceeded to freak out. 

"Alice.. Have you had a chance to meet Bella's cousin? No, well let me fill you in. She's about 5 foot 4, long brown hair, pretty green eyes, and what else...oh yeah, she gave me a fucking vision!"

The vampire in front of her was shocked, "A-A vision? How? I didn't see Bella's cousin coming at all."

Morticia froze in her pacing.

"Wait, you can't see her...at all?"

Alice shook her head, eyes wide open. 

"No, it's just like when you first arrived. I can't see anything. Just recently I've been able to see bits and pieces of possible futures that have you in them, but I really have to concentrate."

Morticia furrowed her brow, "What can that mean? She's just like me," she whispered.

Alice gave her a concerned look, "You don't think she's from your time, do you?"

Morticia turned to her and shrugged, "I have no idea. What I do know is this; In the original story, there is no character named Fauna- which means she's a wild card."

"What did you say about a vision?" Alice asked, her concern turning to confusion. "You haven't been getting visions all along, have you?"

Morticia thought back to all of her 'dreams'. 

'Should I go ahead and tell her? I mean they haven't locked me up in an insane asylum yet.'

"Well, I wouldn't call them visions. I just assumed that I had an overactive cortex in my brain," She paused before continuing, "I've been dreaming about the person who I think maybe sent me here. I keep hearing a voice- Fauna's voice, and just now when I shook her hand I saw something else. This time I saw more clearly than before, it was like I was right there in the middle of everything. I saw Fauna fleeing with a baby, a baby named Morticia. Oh, and Aro was there ordering a guard for a status report. That was very odd, I've never dreamed about the Volturi before."

As she gave more details about her dreams, Alice's face became even more pale- if that was possible- and her face morphed into one of worry, mixed with slight horror.

"What? What is it?" She asked Alice after she noticed her expression.

Alice stared at her for a moment, "You had a vision about Aro? Morticia that is never a good sign. You of all people know what happens when the Volturi get involved! If they ever came here-"

Morticia cut off Alice's panic. "Woah, Woah! We don't know that they are coming here, Alice! Save your panic for later. Right now we need to worry about Fauna. Who the hell she is and why she's interested in me all of a sudden!"

Alice still looked worried but nodded slightly, "I can tell the others to keep an eye on her and see what they can find out. I'm not sure if Edward's power would be effective but Jasper's power seems to work on you so maybe he can sense her intentions?"

Nodding, Morticia resumed her pacing. "That sounds good and I'll get closer to Bella so I can see if I can find anything out about Fauna. Do you know all that jazz about keeping your friends close and your enemy closer? We might need to pull that card this time."

They were both silent for a moment before Morticia broke the silence, "Hey Alice? Do you care if we keep this whole vision business between us? I don't really want the others to panic over this if it all adds up to nothing." 

Alice gave her an exasperated look, "Ugh, Morticia! You know Edward's going to try to read my mind to find out about this entire conversation! Do you know how annoying it is to play explicit pop songs to keep him out!"

The image made Morticia chuckle as she said, "I'm sure you can manage, but which is worse for me: Edward knowing Fauna may be a potential threat or Edward being grumpy that he can't see this conversation?"

The unimpressed stare Alice gave her was comical, to say the least.

"You owe me BIG time for this, Morticia."

She smiled at the psychic vampire, "yes I totally will, but right now I need to get Loverboy back in here. I can sense his frustration from here."

As if he had heard Morticia's statement, the familiar footsteps of his designer shoes echoing on the linoleum behind her. 

She turned slightly and was greeted by her familiar vampire shadow.

"Well, there you are. And here I was just about to call you back. You surprised me, I bet Alice that you wouldn't last five minutes but it's been..." She dramatically looked at the wall clock and widened her eyes before finishing, "Wow, seven minutes on the dot. You're getting better, Loverboy."

Edward gave her a bemused look before he shifted on his feet.

Morticia could tell that he was having a hard time restraining himself from attempting some serious PDA, especially since he was nearly strangling his jacket that he only carried around for decorative purposes.

"Laugh all you want at my expense, but can you at least tell me what it is that you were discussing with my sister?" He asked her, his eyes pleading with her.

His amber orbs made her insides warm and she took his hand in hers. Rising his knuckles to her lips, she gave them a feather-light kiss before meeting his gaze.

"It was just your basic girl gossip, nothing to worry about at all. Apparently Bella's cousin decided to join her in Forks and Alice didn't see her arrive."

Edward's brows rose and he gave her a shocked look.

"Bella's cousin? That wasn't in the original story."

Morticia gave him a tight smile, "Yeah, there are a lot of things that are changing in this narrative."

'I just hope they're changing for the better and not for worse,' she thought grimly as Edward threaded their fingers together.

"I couldn't care less what's changed from Stephanie's original draft, as long as you're alright." He gave her a worried look that made butterflies erupt in her stomach.

'Wow, if only they'd have shown this aspect of Edward in the movies. A loving, attentive boyfriend instead of a possessive man child.' She mused as she took a deep breath.

"I am better than I have been in a very long time, trust me- I'm fine." 

Although he didn't look convinced, Alice interrupted their little moment to remind them to come back to the real world.

"Not to be a bother to you two, but we do still have a few periods left. So, unless you want to be counted tardy..." Alice's voice was teasing as she glanced between the couple.

Morticia laughed as she bumped Edward's shoulder lightly and moved to head down the hallway. 

"You heard her, Loverboy, get moving- we can worry about future stuff later. For now let's just focus on day to day, alright?"

Although the conversation had ended, the events of the past hour swirled in her mind.

'Just who was Fauna Swan and what did she have to do with Morticia's dreams.' 

She made it her first priority to become close friends with Bella and hopefully find some fucking answers to those questions. 

'Seriously, why couldn't this have followed the damn novel that Stephenie wrote? Why did anything have to change?'

Luckily for her, Morticia found out that Bella was in her English class. The class was somewhat of a joke to her at this point but since it would be a prime opportunity, she decided to pay attention for once. 

The lesson for the day happened to be an analysis of the brother's Grimm fairytales and the teacher announced that they would be able to have partners. After hearing this, Morticia immediately perked up and turned to Bella with a charming smile that would make Voldemort jealous.

'What a perfect opportunity to get some answers'

"Hey, Bella...Wanna be partners?"

Bella seemed shocked that she asked her and the gaggle of boys itching to ask her were highly disappointed that Morticia had been faster.

"Uh, uh...yeah. Yeah, that'd be great." The brunette girl stumbled over her words as Morticia made her way over to her table.

"Fabulous. So, any ideas on what you want to write this analysis about?" She asked once she settled in her seat.

Bella turned to her and blushed slightly before speaking in almost a whisper, "Well, I-uh, thought we could do Sleeping Beauty."

'Sleeping Beauty, what the hell? Although, she does have a cousin named Fauna, so maybe it runs in the family.'

Morticia gave her an encouraging smile, "What a coincidence! That's my favorite one of theirs! It's so much darker than the Disney version! Wait, let me guess- is that where your cousin got her name?"

Bella seemed to become less nervous as she voiced her enthusiasm and relaxed slightly.

"Yeah, my mom's sister- Fauna's mom was obsessed with the movie! I was always terrified of it though, especially Maleficent..."

The name made Morticia pause, she turned to Bella and raised her eyebrow.

"Tell me, was it the horns or the green skin that made your fear spike?"

Bella seemed to close up again, slightly, and awkwardly rubbed her arms.

"Well, it wasn't just the superficial things- but her horns are scary. I think it was just the idea that somebody could be that hateful and curse an innocent baby- all because she wasn't invited to a christening."

Morticia's spine straightened at the statement as if insulted- but she didn't know why. Yeah, Maleficent had been somewhat of an icon for her growing up. She had never really been expected and neither had the dark fae, so it was easy for her to sympathize with the villain.

"Do you really believe that people are solely evil?" Morticia asked calmly and slowly, to try to ease some of Bella's nerves.

"Well, no. Not really." The Brunette woman murmured slightly.

"Then why should we assume that Maleficent had no reason to become the villain in the story. Instead, maybe we should ask why she chose to curse Aurora and what pushed her down that dark path."

'Why am I getting so defensive over a Disney villain? I know morality is a big concept but hell, I usually don't get on a soapbox about movie characters.'

Bella seemed shocked at her suggestion but then looked pensive as if she were truly thinking it over.

"Maybe... Maybe, that is what we should write out analysis on. What caused the Grimm version's 'Dark fairy godmother and Disney's Maleficent to become evil? I think it would be a great topic- especially the Maleficent angle."

Morticia gave a weak smile but internally she was still confused. It was as if that name struck some kind of chord with her that had never happened before.

The rest of the class they worked diligently on their assignment, occasionally making small conversation here and there before Bella finally brought up the obvious elephant in the room

"So, uh... you and Edward make a cute couple." She stated meekly keeping her eyes trained on the papers before them.

Morticia knew that the girl obviously had a crush on Edward, that was obvious, and her attempts at subtlety were as unnoticeable as her monster of a truck.

"Thank you. I'd like to say that it was all my idea, but that award goes to my Loverboy. After my accident, he made it clear how unhappy he was with me and after some heated words he finally asked me out."

Morticia smiled at the memory as she reorganized their notes before the bell rang. Suddenly she got an interesting idea.

'Maybe....'

Turning to Bella, she grabbed her wrist gently and said with a grin, "However, just because I snatched up the last available Cullen doesn't mean that I can't find you your own loverboy..." Noticing the brunette's shocked look she amended, "or girl if you prefer. Alice is known to be an amazing matchmaker, but I think with my input we could find you someone really special."

Bella's blush deepened to nearly purple and she stuttered, "uh-um, Y-yeah, n-o. Look I don't-"

Morticia laughed at her gently, "I'm only teasing, Bella. It's what I do with my new friends, just ask the Cullens- I make their lives a living hell, but for some reason, they keep me around."

Bella calmed instantly and played with her hair nervously as the bell rang. 

As Morticia grabbed her bag and headed for the door, she turned back to Bella. 

"Oh, but I wasn't kidding about helping you in the romance department. There are some smoking hot guys down there on the Quileute reservation- maybe next time you can join me when I visit? Who knows, you may just go home with a soulmate," She winked and twirled gracefully before exiting the classroom, not waiting for Bella's response.

'Wouldn't that be crazy if she were to be someone's imprint? Nah, that's way too obvious of a plot change.'

Morticia noticed as she made her way down the hall that it seemed more deserted than usual. It surprised her that Edward hadn't immediately shown up outside the classroom door to greet her, that was kind of his thing. 

Looking around, Morticia was shocked to find that there was seemingly no one else in the building. She looking in every other classroom that she encountered but came up empty on each one. 

'Where the hell is everyone? Did I fall into a black hole or something?'

She almost panicked when a familiar form exited a classroom and came to a halt in front of her.

"Hello, Morticia. I think it's time we had a little chat- just us girls, don't you?" Fauna asked her with a smile.

Morticia gaped at the small brunette girl and took a step back in preparation to run.

Fauna seemed to guess where her thoughts were headed as she waved her hand, "I wouldn't think of running if I were you, I've taken us away from your Vampires for the time being and only I can take you back."

That didn't ease her nerves at all but noticing her tensed shoulders, Fauna continued, "Oh, don't be so tense, dear. I won't harm you. I've been protecting you for years- if I wanted you dead, I would've done it by now."

Morticia finally found her voice then, "Protecting me? You're the voice that's been haunting my dreams?"

Fauna smiled at her gently, "Oh dear, I 've done more than just haunt your dreams. I sent you here, to this world."

Morticia's brow furrowed, "Why would you do that? I sure as hell didn't wish on a fucking star to be sent into the twilight saga?"

Fauna gave her a sad look, "Oh my sweet Morticia, there's so much to explain and I'm so sorry about everything that's been kept from you."

"What's been kept from me?! What the hell is going on?! Just over a month ago, I was a normal human girl going through life without a care in the fucking world and suddenly I get dropped into a goddamn vampire-romance novel?! What else could there be that could top all of that madness I've already seen?!"

Walking closer to her, Fauna gave her a serious look that made Morticia's blood run cold.

"That would be all fine and dandy, dear, except for just...one...thing..."

She finally came close enough to Morticia's side to lean in and whisper in her ear.

"You aren't human."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If Morticia isn't human then......what is she?!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morticia and Fauna continue their conversation and Morticia has a big decision to make....what is she going to tell Edward?!

Hello all, sorry for the late update but recently there have been some health issues with a member of my family that is someone very special to me, however, she recently was diagnosed cancer-free so I finally felt the need to write again! I know you all were waiting on this update and it may not be the best one I've written but I promise you it all leads up to the big picture! Thank you all for your love and support on OUAD, you've kept me sane these last few weeks! I would also like to ask you guys to chime in on a familiar for Morticia! I would love to hear your thoughts on who she should adopt as her furry companion!

Best wishes to all and as usual, enjoy!

Previously on OUAD:

Walking closer to her, Fauna gave her a serious look that made Morticia's blood run cold.

"That would be all fine and dandy, dear, except for just...one...thing..."

She finally came close enough to Morticia's side to lean in and whisper in her ear.

"You aren't human."

Morticia POV:

Morticia stared at Fauna in disbelief.

"Not human?! What the fuck do you mean I'm not human?! I've been human for nearly 21 years thank you very much !"

Fauna just smiled at her but said nothing, which irritated the fuck out of her.

"Don't sit there being all-knowing and give me that bullshit smile! Alright then, go on and tell me. If I'm not human then what the fuck am I?!"

Fauna circled her slowly.

"You haven't reached maturity so of course, your powers haven't fully manifested yet...I wonder..." Fauna murmured as she came to face Morticia.

"What do you mean' Manifested my powers..' what powers?"

The tiny brunette raised an eyebrow, "I heard from my 'cousin' that you had a little accident. She said it was an animal attack but knowing the history of this town and the fact that you haven't fled from your vampires... I can assume you ran into something with wicked claws, a wolf perhaps. Odd, isn't it that I see no wound?" 

Fauna's voice took a more crisp tone with a British dialect as she stared knowingly at Morticia's supposed injured shoulder. 'That's not creepy at all...'

"I'll bet that you had a nasty few days after that... but did your wound miraculously heal...almost as if it were never there in the first place?" 

Her words made Morticia's spine straighten and her eyes turn cold.

"How the fuck do you know all of that?! Have you been spying on me?" 

This was all becoming way too creepy for her taste. Vampires and werewolves, those she could handle, but mysterious creepy girls with British accents- nuh-uh, she'd pass on that. 

"Morticia dear, I've been watching you your entire life. From the day you were born, I tasked myself with your care."

"But...why? What am I to you?"

Fauna took a deep breath before taking a moment to find her thoughts.

"I think to understand, I might as well just tell you."

Morticia grew increasingly frustrated at the other girl's evasion. 

"Tell me what?! What the hell is so secretive that you have to send me creepy-ass dreams every night?! Does it have to do with me being 'not human?' Whatever the fuck that means..."

The other girl stared at Morticia for a very long time before she spoke.

"I wasn't lying when I said that you weren't human, Morticia. In fact, you are far from it. The reason I was placed to take over your care was that, well, when you were born it was during a terrible war. A war that took the lives of many of our own, including your parents. The monsters that slaughtered our brothers and sisters would stop at nothing to see our entire race eradicated so that they may gain more power. There was a prophecy, however, that spoke of a babe born out of love so powerful that she would have the power to make things right. I was the only one who believed it- everyone else thought that I was crazy. Your parents entrusted me with you in the event that anything should happen. You could call me your godmother of sorts. I knew that moment your mother put you in my arms that you would be the babe to save us- that you held the power, So to protect you, I sent you away- to another dimension where our kind was nothing but a fairy tale, to keep you safe, but then I knew I had to bring you back when you were ready."

There was a look in Fauna's eyes that told Morticia that what she said was true, but Morticia just couldn't wrap her head around all of this.

"Hold up... Are you saying that those dreams were actually, some kind of visions of my past?" Her voice held much disbelief but Fauna smiled a tight smile and nodded her head.

"I apologize for interrupting your sleep but that was the only time your mind was vulnerable enough to bypass the blocks that I placed on you to protect you. I knew if I could tempt you curiosity that everything else would fall into place as needed."

Morticia raised her brow in thought for a moment. 

"This still doesn't answer my questions. You say that you sent me those visions and that you sent me here? Can you please just start from the beginning? Why did you bring me here now of all times?! I had a family back home and they're probably worried sick!"

She thought back to her brother Damon, and all those happy times they played pranks on her parents or cut off the heads of her Barbie dolls to burry them in the back yard...

Fauna brought her out of her thoughts, "Oh dear, That was all an illusion. It was a powerful spell I concocted but a necessary one. I sent you away to another dimension to live with your ideal family- the Addams. I wanted you to be able to have a stable, loving home environment so that when the time was right you wouldn't feel isolated or alone when you came back to us! You needn't worry about the Addams' dear- they aren't real. Once you were transported back here that entire illusion dissolved."

It was as if a rock had fallen in Morticia's stomach. 

'My family wasn't real? All those memories are...fake?'

It was as if her entire world had shifted and she soon realized it was because Morticia had fallen to her knees.

Fauna gave the girl a pitiful look. "Now dear, come on now, there's no need to get teary-eyed. Your memories are still yours to keep."

Morticia gasped for air as the tears kept streaming down her face and her entire form shook with grief.

"H-How is this p-possible? T-they were r-real!" She uttered through her sobs.

Fauna wrapped her arms around the girl, "Yes they were dear, to you. They will always be a part of your past...but you need to be prepared for your future."

Morticia looked at her in disbelief and wiped her eyes angrily.

"You expect me to fight some fucking war, all for what?! To save a race that I know nothing about?! You haven't even told me what the hell I am or who I am for that matter?! All you've done since you brought me here is be a pain in my ass! So why the fuck would I help you?!" 

Morticia stood up as she ranted and paced angrily.

Fauna slowly stood and approached the young girl.

"You are Morticia Rose Addams. You were born on the 31st of October during a full moon. I should know because I was there as I held your mother's hand when she brought you into this world. I was also there when you were given your title at your christening... Princess Morticia Rose- Protector of the fae..."

Morticia stopped in her tracks, "Excuse me? Did you just say, princess? Wait, Fae? What the hell is a Fae?"

Fauna stepped closer and Morticia could see her form begin to shimmer. There was a bright green light and suddenly Fauna was standing in front of her...at least she thought it was still Fauna

She had iridescent wings fluttering behind her, they reminded Morticia of butterfly wings, Her clothes had transformed into a long green tunic dress that shimmered under the light and her face had become more angular as well as her ears. 

Fauna gave her a gentle smile and raised her hand, "I am no danger to you, Morticia. I've been your protector for many years and I will continue to do so until you take your place among our people."

Morticia stared at her in shock, "Uh... please tell me I'm not gonna sprout butterfly wings too...."

The thought made her skin crawl. Yes, her parents made her watch Barbie Mariposa when she was little but the bright pink colors reminded her of Pepto Bismol so she only watched it once.

Fauna giggled and it reminded Morticia of tinkering bells, "Well we won't know dear until you manifest all of your powers! Speaking of, that is why I'm here! You've already unlocked some of your gifts, but there will be more to come and if you don't have someone to help you control them- things may get a bit tricky."

To be honest, Morticia was just halfway paying attention at this point because she was blatantly staring at Fauna's wings that were still fluttering behind her.

"Dear staring is rude you know."Fauna chided, bringing Morticia's attention back to her face.

Morticia shook her head a bit, "Well can you blame me?! You just told me that I'm going to be sprouting some kind of wings and I'm some mythical creature!"

Fauna crossed her arms gently, "What were you expecting, dear? You've been surrounded by Vampires and werewolves!"

Morticia rolled her eyes and grumbled, "Well zombies would've been a nice change."

Fauna tutted her tongue but gave her a gentle smile. 

"Alright, I think I've shocked you enough for today. Also, I can feel your vampire's anxiety so I think we need to get you back to the real world."

Morticia's eyes widened, She's nearly forgotten Edward had no idea where she was or how long she'd been gone.

'Well, fuck. Looks like I'll have a vampire shadow for the next month....great.'

"Um...you're not gonna leave, are you? Just in case I have any questions about this stuff?"

Fauna gently cupped her cheek and stared deeply into her eyes, "Whenever you need me... You'll know how to call me...Besides, I have to play the dutiful cousin to the Swan girl, so you'll see me around campus at least." 

Fauna winked at her and then swirled her hands around. The ground shifted under Morticia's feet and the walls began to spin around them. 

It was nearly too much for Morticia, but quickly everything settled and she found herself alone in a familiar clearing behind the football field of Forks High school.

Morticia only had a moment to gather her thoughts before she was grabbed from behind and brought into an embrace. Her first instinct was to fight whoever it was but when she took a deep breath she knew it was her Loverboy vampire.

Edward's arms tightened around her and he buried his nose in her hair, inhaling deeply.

"NEVER....never leave for that long again! I was so worried, thinking of every horrible thing that might have happened to you...It was agony..." His voice trailed off from angry to desperate and it made Morticia's heart ache a bit. 

She turned gently in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. 

"Hey, I thought I told you that you're never getting rid of me! That includes weird lapses of time as well." She tried to convince herself more than him at the moment.

Morticia knew that she couldn't tell Edward everything Fauna had just told her, that would send him in a deep possessive spiral and she really didn't want to deal with that at the moment. 

But she also knew she needed a way to explain her disappearing act to loverboy, who looked like he was on the verge of bursting a blood vessel in anticipation- if he had any that worked.

"Hey, look, I'm here right now! Nothing happened loverboy, girls just need some girl time- that's all."

Edward looked pained, "But Alice couldn't even see you. Your future went blank, just like when you went to visit the wolves."

Morticia feigned confusion, "Hmmm, maybe Alice is losing her touch. Either way, there's nothing to worry about, I was just taking some time to myself. Can we go now? I'm super exhausted from today, too much socializing with annoying teenagers!"

Edward looked as if he was going to keep pressing her but she grabbed his hand and all but dragged him to the parking lot.

The rest of the vampire gang were there waiting for them, but what shocked Morticia the most was that they each held some form of worry on their faces.

"You scared us, Little sister. Not cool!" Emmett muttered as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Morticia scoffed, "Oh come on Brother Bear, it's not like Rosalie has ever wanted some well needed alone time? Would you be scolding her too?"

Emmett took a glance at his wife who shot him a death glare that made him visibly shrink.

"Fair enough, come on let's go. Esme said she wanted to try out some recipes she saw on the food network for you." Emmett said quickly as he all but ran to the Jeep, Rosalie muttering behind him as she followed.

Morticia smiled at the unique dynamic of the couple, but her smile wanned as she saw Jasper's concerned gaze.

She sighed, "Hey Edward, Can you give Jasper and me a minute? Just a second, I promise," her eyes locked on the blonde, southern vampire. 

Edward gave her a confused look but Jasper must have sent him something in his thoughts because he nodded wordlessly. Before he could walk towards the Volvo, Morticia reached up to quickly peck him on the lips. Edward's smile brightened as he turned to make his way over to his car.

Morticia was also beaming as she watched him go, lost in her thoughts of what the unknown future would be now that she knew of her supposed 'lineage.' In fact, she was so lost in her thoughts that Jasper's sudden questioning made her jump slightly.

"So, are we just gonna ignore the fact that you disappeared for over 2 hours and even my Ali couldn't see where the hell you were at?"

Morticia was shocked at how relaxed Jasper had become around her, the stiff southern soldier was gone and had been replaced with this southern charmer. She could understand why Alice was so smitten with him.

She raised her eyebrow, "Why, Major Whitlock, didn't your mamma ever tell you that it's rude to ask a lady where she's been? I've heard it's like asking about her age!"

He gave her an unamused look and she sighed, " Alright, I knew that wouldn't work. Look, just like I told Edward- I'm fine! Can we just move on, you have to admit this is a little overwhelming...don't I deserve a break once in a while."

Jasper's face pinched slightly, as if in pain, and he stepped toward her slightly. 

"This is the first time I've ever felt deceit from you, Morticia. In the short time, you've known our family, you've never shown any signs of deception...so what has you so afraid that you choose to do so now?" His amber eyes stared into hers with such intensity that Morticia nearly caved right there.

'No, I can't. I won't worry them until I have more information. I won't burden them with this.'

Morticia forced a smile, "Jasper, I've trusted you and your family with horrors of my past and possibly the craziest thing that has ever happened to me...you put your trust in me then to not tell anyone about your secret, I'm asking you to trust me one more time. It's nothing fatal, I promise you. I just need to work through this on my own...Can you understand or accept that?"

Jasper looked unconvinced and the look reminded her of Edward on some level. It made her chuckle inwardly, even if they weren't related by blood, the Cullen children did play the part of siblings very well.

Morticia grabbed his hand gently, "Please, Jasper. Trust me."

Jasper sighed and pulled her in for a hug, he spoke so quietly she was sure the others had a hard time hearing it as well, "whatever it is your hiding, I trust that you can handle it yourself, but please don't be afraid to ask for help. You're strong Morticia but you don't have to carry the weight of the entire world alone, that's what family is for."

The words made Morticia tear up slightly as they pulled away, she smiled gratefully at him and moved to walk towards Edward's car.

Jasper quickly grabbed her hand as she passed. She looked up at him, confused to see him sporting a wide grin. 

"Morticia, just to let you know, I may accept your secrecy...but my brother on the other hand, well, he may not be so patient," with a wink he all but skipped to the Jeep, leaving Morticia to stare at his back dumbfounded 

'Great. So now I have to try to keep a colossal secret from a bunch of nosy vampires. Just. Fucking. Great.'

With a resigned sigh, she turned and hurried over to Edward's car. As she settled in the passenger seat she immediately took notice of the tension Edward was emitting.

"So... You and Jasper seemed pretty cozy. Discuss anything interesting."

The Jealousy in his voice was obvious, he did little to hide it. If his tone didn't give him away, the gritting of his teeth most certainly did. 

Morticia sighed and rested her forehead against the cool glass window, watching the scenery fly by, "Dear God, please tell me you are not jealous of your empath brother because he asked me about my emotions? Seriously? You can be more subtle than that, Edward Anthony." 

Edward scoffed, "Well, I can't be sure. I can't read your thoughts, but you always seem to open up to Jasper! Why is that, hmm?!"

Morticia turned and gave him a glare, "Do you hear yourself right now. You're jealous that Jasper can feel my emotions but you can't hear my thoughts?! This isn't some pissing contest! Jasper has been helping me deal with some things, things that took me ages to deal with myself!"  
Edward calmed slightly, "I should be the one helping you through those types of things."

Morticia rolled her eyes, "Edward, if you can't trust me enough to handle me having a civil yet emotional conversation with your BROTHER, then maybe we need to take some time to reevaluate the dynamics of this relationship."

Edward slammed on the breaks, nearly throwing her into the windshield. 

'Thank god for seatbelts.'

He turned to her with disbelief in his eyes, "Don't say that, please. Anything but that."

Morticia rubbed her temples, already feeling the migraine forming. "It's not something I want to do willingly, but if you can't handle something as simple and unthreatening as this... how can I know you won't fly off the handle later? I told you, I am not Bella Swan. If you want a sweet submissive type girl who will follow you and do whatever you say, she's probably still waiting for you so take your shot." Morticia quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and threw open the door, stomping out into the middle of the road.

'Probably not the best choice right now, Tishia. Very stupid idea.'

She knew she was probably acting immature, but being stuck with him inside that car made her thoughts all muddled. She needed to have a clear head if she was ever going to find out about her past, but she wasn't about to have the wrath of the Volturi come down on the Cullens in doing so.

Morticia was almost at the stop sign when it suddenly began pouring the rain.

'Well, fuck me. Isn't this just great? Why don't we throw in some lightning while we're at it?'

Accepting her fate of becoming a drowned rat, she prepared to continue walking when she felt an ice-cold hand grab her arm. She didn't have to turn around to know who that arm belonged to.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I will never want Bella Swan. The only woman I want is trying to break up with me, I think? She's sending me some weird signals lately."

Morticia scoffed and turned around, "Well she sounds like an amazing woman who can keep you on your toes if only you wouldn't be a jealous neanderthal."

Edward gave her a sheepish smile and laughed gently, "Would the amazing woman please not break this neanderthal's heart? I promise he only gets jealous....every other week, but it's only because he has to hear teenage boys thoughts about said amazing woman and it makes him crazy."

Morticia laughed gently, "You better make that every other month buddy, I'm not stroking your ego every other week."

Edward took her hand in his, "I think I can deal with that....does this mean you forgive me?"

Morticia took a moment to think, "Edward, I understand that you've never had a relationship in the 100 or so years you've been alive, but a huge dynamic is a trust and communication with your partner. You have to trust me, especially around your BROTHERS."

'hypocrite, hypocrite, HYPOCRITE. I am a fucking hypocrite right now. I should tell him....nope I really should not, that would be bad....very bad, shit this is hard.'

Edward opened his mouth to respond but a different voice interrupted him.

"Awe, aren't you guys just the cutest couple, talking about each other in the third person?! Morticia I knew you knabbed a hunky vampire but gosh I never knew you grabbed a funny one too!"

Morticia looked at Edward mortified before turning to face Fauna. 

Fauna was standing in the middle of the street.....bone dry? 

'How the hell is that possible, Edward and I are soaking wet?'

Fauna seemingly guessed her confusion, "Oh honey, this is a simple charm- I can teach it to you later. The real important issue here is..... you're too afraid to let your loverboy in on your little secret? Can I be the one to tell him? I love seeing the reaction I can get out of people!" Her perky smile made Morticia even more uncomfortable than she had been when she met the brunette...pixie? fairy? 

Edward's hand tightened around her arm and he pulled her behind him, shielding her from an attack.

"Morticia, what is she talking about? Do you know her?....wait, isn't that Bella Swan's cousin?"

Morticia's brain was moving a hundred miles a minute, she tried to come up with an explanation that wouldn't make this entire situation seem crazy, but she came up with nothing.

Her mouth tried to form a response but Fauna beat her to it, "Geez Morticia, You're taking too long, I thought you would've spilled the beans after our little chat this morning. Suprise loverboy, you're mated to a fae! Oh, and lose the tough snarly Vampire act, I'm not going to hurt her!"

Edward did a double-take and turned to look at Morticia who just shrugged and weakly replied, "huh...surprise?"

For a moment, Morticia was worried that he was going to faint. Could Vampires even faint?

"Fae? I thought they didn't exist? Carlisle said..." He kept muttering to himself as he lost himself in his thoughts.

'Did I break Edward Cullen? Is this really what does him in? Seriously?'

Eventually, he gathered his bearings, pacing the deserted street and muttered, "We need to call Carlisle. Now."

Morticia inwardly groaned, 'Oh shit, here we go again....another family meeting, yay! This one should be fun.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave me a suggestion/ideas in the comments for what I should make Morticia's familiar. I have an idea but I'd love to hear your guy's thoughts! Thank you so much for the love on OUAD!


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Cullens finally find out about Morticia's "identity," and we discover one of her new powers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your love for this story!!! I love reading your comments!!! Every chapter is such a delight to write :)

Previously on OUAD:

Edward did a double-take and turned to look at Morticia who just shrugged and weakly replied, "huh...surprise?"

For a moment, Morticia was worried that he was going to faint. Could Vampires even faint?

"Fae? I thought they didn't exist? Carlisle said..." He kept muttering to himself as he lost himself in his thoughts.

'Did I break Edward Cullen? Is this really what does him in? Seriously?'

Eventually, he gathered his bearings, pacing the deserted street and muttered, "We need to call Carlisle. Now."

Morticia inwardly groaned, 'Oh shit, here we go again....another family meeting, yay! This one should be fun.'

Morticia pov: 

The entire car ride was deadly silent. Neither Morticia or Fauna tried to strike up a conversation with Edward, which Morticia was thankful for. Fauna reminded her of Alice without a buffer and she didn't think Edward could handle any added annoyance at the moment. His hands were gripping the steering wheel with such intensity that it shocked her that it was still intact. His phone call with Carlisle had been very brief but she could tell he was restraining him self a lot. 

She wanted desperately to ask him what he was thinking, how ironic. She was just as confused as he was! It was only mere hours ago that she found out about everything, so he couldn't hold secrecy against him. 

Although, she will admit she had planned to keep it private- just until she could figure out if it was complete bullshit or not. 

'I mean a fairy- really? DIsney could do better than that.' 

Instead of inquiring, Morticia decided to lean her head against the cold glass window of the volvo like before and watch the passing scenery. 

She noticed in the rearview mirror that Fauna was giving her an encouraging look and weirdly enough it didn't make Morticia more annoyed like she expected, instead it made her feel...comforted? It was almost like when her mom would make her bat shaped cookies with black frosting when she was having a bad day... it felt like home.

Morticia quickly shook herself out of that train of thought- thinking about her parents was just too painful at the moment.

Thankfully with Edward's love for breaking the speed limit, they were pulling onto the Cullen's property in no time. 

She thought Edward would storm up to the house in a fit of rage but instead he calmly walked to her side and opened her door for her, holding out his hand.

'wow, even totally pissed off, he still acts like a gentleman...woah.' 

As she heitantly took his hand, she took a glance at his eyes and saw they were a deep shade of onyx...

"Come on, everyone's waiting on us." He said in a deep but somber voice.

Morticia followed his lead and glanced back to make sure Fauna was still behind them.

The Brunette didn't seem phased at all by the notion of entering a house of vampires, but rather she looked like a kid about to enter a candy store- a bright ball of energy.

"Oh, this is going to be such fun." Fauna's accented voice tinkled like little bells once it reached Morticia's ears.

'Oh what hell this will be.' Morticia thought as she saw Carlisle and Esme standing at the door.

She had a brief flashback of when she had first been introduced to the Cullen family and the thought made her smile. 

'It seems I'm always dropping some kind of bomb on them when I come to this house...now why is that?... Hm, I guess it all amounts to my outatanding personality,' She scoffed at herself mentally.

Carlisle greeted her with a gentle grin 

"Always a pleasure to see you, Morticia," He told her softly in such a paternal manner that it made her throat tighten just a bit.

Taking a deep breath, Morticia smiled back gently before Edward had wisked them into the familiar living room with the rest of the family. 

Rosalie and Jasper were in what looked like to be an intense argument which they abruptly ended as they approached. 

Alice was standing off to the side near the window and her face held a look of confusion and worry.

'How the hell am I going to start this conversation? What words could explain this?' 

Morticia was brought out of her thoughts by Esme's gentle hand on her back. Turning towards the Cullen matriarch, Morticia searched her motherly gaze but only found warmth.

"Whenever you're ready, dear." Her calming voice did little to ease Morticia's nerves.

Morticia sighed deeply and took a few steps further into the room then turned towards Fauna who was lurking beside Carlisle in the doorway.

"Wait, why the hell am I leading this little pow-wow. You're the resident genius on my weird family tree so why don't you get up here and tell everyone?!" She shot an annoyed gaze at the british(English?) fae woman.

Fauna perked up instantly, "Why Morticia, darling, I thought you'd never ask! Of course I'd love to have the attention of seven albeit vegetarian- vampires, the fae's natural eneemy! How wonderful!" Her sarcastic tone made Morticia smirk.

"Well you sure as hell weren't worried when you decided to drop the bomb on Edward. What's six more gonna do?," Morticia inquired with a raised eyebrow. 

The fae in question popped her hands on her hips in irritation, "That was only because I was preventing a meaningless lover's quarrel. Besides, I could easily handle your telepath, the others are a different matter all together."

Deciding to let the matter go, Morticia found herself a spot on the couch and looked expectantly at Edward, silently apprasing him to see if he was still pissed. 

To her delight it appeared that he was very much still pissed, but his eyes had softened and once they met hers he had already moved to her side. Once there, he gave her a questioning gaze as he settled himsef in beside her. Morticia knew he was silently asking her if she were still angry with him as well.

'Oh my Loverboy, how those eyes make me feel things that would ususally make me punch a fucking wall. How the hell could I ever stay mad at him- jesus any future fights are gonna be hard to win.'

Morticia said nothing, but instead grabbed Edward's hand closest to her, brought his arm over her shoulders and clasped their fingers together. It wasn't just an act of romance, but one of solidarity. She wasn't sure she even knew the full story but she did know that she wanted Edward by her side as Fauna told it.

As Fauna began her story, Morticia felt soft lips gently caress her temple. Without looking at him, she reached her hand up and gently caressed his jawline up to his cheek bone. She could feel his smile and the next thing she felt under her fingers were those familiar icy lips again. That made her turn her head to see him staring back at her, only this time his eyes were darker than before, but not with anger...

A loud cough broke the tension they had built up and they both turned to look at a very annoyed Fauna standing in front of them.

"If you both would cease your foreplay so that I may begin...thank you," Her tone was teasing but her body language said she meant business.

'Oh honey, you haven't seen foreplay, but thanks for cockblocking us, pixie.'

"Now that I may continue. I'm sure you're all very confused as to why I am here. Let me explain as best as I can.......Hello, my name is Fauna Everwood and I am a fae or fairy as most cultures depict us. I was sent here to look after dear Morticia and make sure nobody harms a hair on my princesses head. I think that just about covers everything....oh, nope I totally forgot one important thing- Morticia here is a fae herself and a very powerful one at that since she comes from a royal bloodline."

The others in the room looked at the brunette woman in shock before turning to Morticia in confusion.

'well I have to give her credit- that was the sparksnotes version. Is it possible for vampires to go into shock? I certainly hope Carlisle can keep it together because I won't be able to handle seven catatonic Vampires on my own.'

"Hey, uh, Morticia is this some kind of joke? Cuz if it is, I gotta hand it to ya sis, this is pretty original- even for vampires," Emmett commented from his side of the room.

Morticia sighed, "I wish I could say that it is Em, but you all said that I don't really smell human and that my blood isn't as appealing...add in the weird fast healing."

Edward squeezed her hand gently as Fauna continued, "Oh come of it. I can prove it to you if you'd like. I'm sure Morticia has manifested enought magic by now to do even the simpilest of spells."

The brunette fae quickly ran outside and left the others to their thoughts. Jasper was the first to voice his, " I knew there was something making you get antsy all of a sudden."

"You have some random ass person tell you that you're some mystical princess and then come tell me how you feel, Jaz!"

The southern vampire chuckled and shook his head, "Why didn't ya tell us earlier we could-"

"Because I didn't find out until 12 hours ago! My entire life I thought I was just some weird girl who liked to dress in black and listen to my chemical romance in her room, but now I'm some long lost princess with magical powers and I'm in a relationship with a telepathic vampire....I'm not sure any amount of counseling can fix this Jasper."

Everyone was silent for a moment and it gave time for Morticia to study Carlisle's face. His was one of confusion and dread, which made Morticia's heart sink. She knew he was probably familiar with the volturi's fascination with fae creatures and it would give Aro the perfect opportunity to try to rip a part his family. 

Alice had a look of worry on her face as well, but it was also mixed with an air of annoyance as well.

"Alice, please don't be mad..." Morticia pleaded as the tiny vampire's eyes shot to hers. 

"Why would I be mad? I mean it's not like I see visions everyday or anything. I don;t know why you waited for some mystery woman to show up before telling me about your visions." Her hands shot to her mouth as she looked between Edward and Morticia. 

'Shit. I hadn't told him about the visions yet.'

The arm behind her head tightened, "What visions, love?"

Morticia turned her head towards him slightly, "Well...uh, ever since I arrived here. I'e been having visions off and on again, almost like warnings."

Edward opened his mouth to question further but was interrupted when Fauna stepped back into the room, carrying a dead flower in her hands.

"Yes, they were warnings sent by me to try to trigger some of your powers I'd say it was rather successful since you survived your stint with the wolves easily enough."

Morticia couched uncomfortably, "Uh, atually I think that credit goes to Carlisle and Sue from the reservation. They did all the hard work."

Fauna raised an eyebrow, unimpressed, "Darling, it'll take a lot more than an overgrown dog to kill a fae. While I'm sure Dr. Cullen's skills are exceptional- you were never in any real danger. Now, speaking of Fae gifts, I think the proper way to convince everyone that I am not a complete and total loon would be to have Morticia here perform a healing incantation on this flower."

Morticia looked at Fauna in disbelief. She never had a green thumb in her life. Ask any of her friends in college, she killed any plant she brought into her room, but since she liked that type of decor- she usually kept the rotting plant corpses where they were.

"You can't be serious," She said as Fauna placed the pot in her lap.

The brunettte fae gave her an unamused look, " Darling would I have truged through acres of underbrush to find this if I was? Even I am not that invested."

Morticia sighed and stared down at the tiny wilted flower. "Now what?," she asked as she looked back at Fauna.

Fauna scoffed and rolled her eyes, "If there was a sure technique on how to perform magic I'm sure tons of people would be living out their Hogwarts dreams! Just do what feels natural."

If it were possible, the atmosphere in the room seemed to intensify even more. Every eye turned in her direction and Edward's hand moved in calming circles on her back.

Taking a deep breath, Morticia closed her eyes and cupped her hands gently around the tiny plant. 

'How on earth do I do this?'

She wasn't planning on getting a response but some deep part of herself was telling herself to just... let go.

Stop overthinking everything. Just let yourself believe you can do it. 

It was like Morticia was flying, it felt so freeing. She decided to take a quick peek at the plant in her hands and nearly screamed. 

There was a bright purple glow around her fingertips encasing the plant and right before her eyes the tiny flower blossomed. Not only did the tiny bud blossom, it changed into one of Morticia's favorites....a Black Dahlia....

"Holy Shit," She murmured as she stared at the glistening flower in her hand. 

Fauna was beaming so brightly that Morticia was worried that she might shoot off some magic herself. 

"I knew you could do it! You really are the one the prophecy fortold..."

Morticia knew she should question further, but she was still solely focused on the flower in front of her. It was like she was frozen in time, even if she could hear what was going on around her.

'Fast healing is one thing. I could easily chalk that up to some amazing genes, but this? Creating something out of essentially dead material....what am I, Dr. Frankenstein? If this is true...then we really have ventured WAY out of the traditional Twilight plot...'

She was brought out of her thoughts by Edward's honey silk voice caressing her ears, "I always knew there was something different about you....and I wasn't just talking about your colorful personality."

Morticia laughed heartily before she turned towards him, "Oh yeah? The clothes and snarky personality weren't a dead giveaway that I was some reject from 'The Craft'? I'm pretty sure you might need to get your head checked, honey."

Before Edward could retort, Emmett chimed in from his seat. "Well if the clothes didn't tell him anything, your eyes will sure as hell do the trick now."

Morticia turned to Emmett with a confused look, "My eyes? Did you drink too much grizzly this last hunt Em that you're so blood high that you can't recognise the color blue?"

Jasper chose to add his two cents at this time, "Actually I have to go with Em on this one, Morticia. We both know Violet from blue- we aren't that old."

'Violet?! What the fuck.'

Morticia practically bolted from Edward's embrace nearly at vampire speed and rushed to the nearest mirror.

Sure enough her steele blue eyes had taken on a bright violent hue that nearly made her shriek when she saw them. 

'WHAT THE EVER LOVING FUCK!!!!'

She turned back to Fauna with a furious glare and her voice was so deadly calm that it made all the vampires in the room bristle slightly, "You better have an explanation for this one fairy..."


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morticia and Edward share their feelings.....Esme makes a startling appearance....and some important exclamations are made..... :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * This chapter will be more about Edward and Morticia's relationship/intimacy issues*

Fauna just rolled her eyes at Morticia's obvious frustration, "Oh honestly dear, I think the violet ones suit you better. It's nothing to be ashamed of! It's proof that you're harnessing your powers and as they get stronger, you will change along with it! It all has to do with the protection spell I placed on you when you were just a babe."

Morticia just groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. This was all too much for her. She could barely deal with the idea of replacing Bella in this twisted story but now she has mystical powers and bright purple eyes?

Slowly she turned to look at Edward. For some reason, she felt like he was the only sane thing happening to her at the moment but recently it was like they hadn't even had time to process what was this thing was between them. 

Sure, they thought of themselves as a couple but would he want to still be with her after learning all of this crazy baggage that she had with her? She was sure he would have less drama if he chose Bella at this point since her fucked up life showed no signs of slowing down any time soon.

Edward met her gaze ad gave her a pained look and for a moment she wondered if he had heard the last bit of her thoughts. He moved to walk towards her but she shook her head and instead motioned to the back patio doors. 

They both moved seemingly undetected by the rest of the family, but Morticia knew better. The others were thankfully giving them some much needed alone time to discuss the recent events.

As he closed the patio door behind him he asked, " Is this the part where you tell me 'it's not you- it's me' before you decide to end us."

Morticia sighed but didn't turn to face him, "Rather ironic for you to blame me for wanting to break up with you for your own protection, or weren't you listening when I detailed the plot of New Moon to your entire family?"

She didn't have to turn to tell that he was walking up beside her. She could feel his breath on the crown of her head and his hands settle on her hips. 

"And are you...breaking up with me?" His breath tickled her ear as he dipped down slightly.

Morticia inhaled deeper this time to try to gove herself some sort of courage. 'Damnit. he makes everything so difficult.'

"Edward, You don't know the entire truth. Fauna only scratched the surface of what all of this means. I'm pretty sure the Volturi played a major role in killing off my entire family as well as many others of my kind. What's to say they would let me live? What if they come after you or your family? I can't let that happen.... please don't make me see that." She turned towards him at the end of her speech and stared up at him with tears in her eyes.

His jaw was clenched so tight she was sure his teeth had to be in pain if he were human. "I would never let anything happen to you. You know that. The Volturi-"

"But what if it isn't just the Volturi, Edward. What if I'm a danger to you? The Volturi must have had some sort of reason besides plain greed to slaughter them...what if I'm too powerful to stop." The idea sent a chill up her spine as her black polished fingers curled in his pristine shirt causing noticeable wrinkles.

Edward pulled her towards him gently and kissed her forehead gently as he laughed slightly. "What a pair we make. At first, I was worried that I- the vampire, would be too dangerous to you- the human. But now you think you'll end up hurting me somehow... If there really is a God, he has a cruel sense of humor. To send me you only to add in so many....conflictions."

Morticia chuckled slightly, "well I hate to break it to you, Loverboy but my life hasn't been easy my entire life. There were always demons lurking in every corner and I have a feeling this new change of scenery will be no different."

He pressed his nose into the crown of her head and inhaled deeply, "As long as I can be with you...I'd fight any battle for you that you'd let me."

The sincerity in his voice made her eyes tear up again. She nuzzled her face deeper into his chest as she spoke, "But I couldn't ask you to fight. Not for me."

She felt, rather than heard the growl that emanated from his chest. "You are so stubborn. It infuriates me."

"You love it, " she scoffed as she ran her finger over his prominent collarbone. 

Edward sighed and gently took her hand and brought it to his lips, "I will spend the rest of my eternity convincing you how much you mean to me if that is what it takes but I won't sit by and let you go through this alone." He pressed his lips to her palm, moving them slightly along her hand and inhaled deeply at her wrist.

His confession made her heart skip a beat. The sincerity and intensity of his voice made her legs turn practically to goo right there. Damn, she'd read the books and knew what a romantic he was but...holy shit, talk about a panty dropper.

"Damit. I'm trying to be the selfless heroine here and you're totally ruining my dramatic exit with your sex appeal," She tried to keep her voice as steady as possible but she knew she failed once she saw his smirk.

"Then that means my plan is working." 

She tried to clear out the fogginess in her brain, " Wait, what plan?"

Edward pulled away from her wrist with that smirk still present, "My plan all along was to distract you until you would get that awful idea of breaking up with me out of your head."

Morticia scoffed knowing he was being playful, "Oh yeah and emotional manipulation is such a wonderful grounds for a relationship. You're lucky that you're cute."

"I have been told that I'm quite handsome on occasion," His smile was beaming as he cupped her cheek gently.

"Well let's just see how you can handle having a girlfriend with violet eyes and god knows what other changes will happen." The thought made her cringe mentally. She really hoped that she didn't grow a tail or worse...

Edward shook his head softly, "none of those things matter to me. You beat any other woman out simply for your personality alone. You could sprout horns and I'd still think you were the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen."

Morticia was stunned speechless. She wasn't sure what prompted her to blurt out the next sentence that came out of her mouth, but she was sure she was going to be teased for it later.

"I love you." Her eyes widened and she clasped her hands over her mouth as she backed into the railing.

Edward's eyes widened as well and his smile got so wide she was worried his face would crack around the edges. He advanced towards her slowly, like a predator stalking his prey and she knew he was going to pounce any minute.

She quickly ran to her right and tried to follow the patio to the front of the house but soon enough a pair of cold marble arms wrapped around her middle and swung her up into the air.

Morticia was shrieking with laughter as he set her feet back on the porch, but he refused to let her escape his arms.

"Would you care to repeat that?" He growled playfully into her ear.

She feigned confusion, "I'm sorry I think I'm experiencing some short term memory loss. Would you care to remind me?"

Edward turned her around gently, pushed the stray hairs away from her face, and then looked deeply into her eyes. His usual deep honey eyes were now a deep amber with black around the rims.

"I love you, too, Morticia." His voice was no longer playful and held only sincerity. 

She was stunned at the turn around as her throat tightened in response. The only response she could come up with was a strained, "good," before she was crushing her lips to his in their most heated kiss yet.

This time neither of them was holding anything back. Their previous kisses had held anger and passion, but this one held only love. A love so pure that both were willing to go to war for. It was her own supernatural Romeo and Juliet story. Both of them knew they weren't promised a tomorrow but they didn't care. For now, all they were focused on was the taste of the other's lips.

Morticia gripped Edward's hair in a vice grip as he pulled back from the kiss to haul her up into his arms, supporting her legs with his arms.

Before he could go in for another kiss, Morticia chose to break the silence with, "Since we're both having this soul sharing moment. I think I should confess something." She paused for dramatic effect and watched as he waited with bated breath, fearing for the worst she was sure.

"Black is not my natural hair color. It's blonde but I use black box dye on it to get it to look like this...Promise me you won't tell Alice! She'd kill me if she found out I do it by myself!"

Edward chuckled and whispered, "As you wish," before sealing their lips together once again.

Morticia was sure that they could have stayed like that for hours, lips pressed together and hands roaming....had they not been interrupted.

Just as Morticia was beginning to lift up on Edward's shirt to attempt to get him to remove it, a soft cough was heard from the patio door. They both turned and to her mortification, it was Esme standing there and she was looking just as uncomfortable as the two of them.

"Sorry to interrupt but the others did have some questions for Fauna that she thought you might like to hear... Whenever you're both ready of course." She looked slightly uncomfortable but gave them a knowing smile before heading back into the house.

Morticia groaned and threw her head into Edward's chest as he set her back on her feet. She could tell he was laughing which made her want to strangle him if it wouldn't break her hands in the processes.

"Please tell me that Esme Cullen did not just walk in on us like that."

Edward chuckled softer this time, "Believe me. That is not the worst thing she has walked in on. Just as Emmett and Rosalie. I'm pretty sure they scarred her for life a few times."

Morticia tried not to cringe at the mental picture. "Ok. well, I'm just going to find a shallow grave to bury myself in, so if you'll excuse me." She tried to turn away from Edward's embrace, but he just held her tighter. 

"There's no need to be that extreme. You're in a home full of vampires. It was bound to happen eventually. Be thankful that it was Esme and not Emmett. She has much better discretion than the others."

While she was eternally grateful that it wasn't Emmett or worse, Carlisle, that found them. The whole situation made her want to vomit everything in her stomach, and that wasn't much.

"What are the odds that when we walk back in there, everyone will know about this?"

Edward just gave her his signature crooked smile, "Judging by Jasper and Emmett's anticipation of our entrance...I don't think we'll be forgetting this anytime soon. But I'm grateful because I'll be reliving this moment for the rest of my immortal life."

Morticia gave him a confused look, "You mean the fact that your mother just walked in on us practically dry humping each other on the back patio? yeah, a really nice moment to bring up around Christmas dinner."

Edward gave her a mock stern look, "While that imagery is oh so charming...I meant the fact that the woman I love decided to tell me she loved me as well."

The tone of his voice made Morticia's heart flutter and she knew if he said anything else stupidly romantic like that she was going to end up jumping him again.

"Alright, you have to stop that shit right now before I climb you like a fucking tree and pop your 100-year-old cherry on this patio. Let's go before we do anything else cringe-worthy."

While Edward's face was usually very stony and composed after she finished her little speech it almost looked as if he were blushing!

'Oh I forgot, Bella was never as blunt as I am. Oh, Edward, you are in for a treat... but not tonight.'

"Come on. Time to face the music, I guess." She took Edward's hand and slightly pulled him with her as she headed back towards the door.

As expected, Emmett and Jasper had matching grins the second they both walked in. Esme had a kind smile but refused to meet her eyes and even Carlisle tried to hide his knowing smirk!

Never being one to back down from a confrontation, Morticia wrapped her arm around Edward's middle and said, "Alright. You've got one minute to get the teasing out of your system about how I nearly defiled 'Eddie the virgin' out on the back deck. And go. 60...59....58" she acted like she was checking her non-existent watch on her free arm as Emmett rubbed his hands together in excitement.

"You know I'd be the first one to say anything...but I have to admit. Ed's got some smooth moves if he could make you forget about a room full of vampires with super hearing!" Emmett chuckled as he continued in a mock girly voice, "Oh Edward I love you! Take me here on the back porch where everyone can see, I don't even care if your family can hear us!"

Morticia just shook her head as Jasper chimed in, "Yeah man, you guys couldn't have gone like five miles out or something? The lust was just pouring off y'all! I'm surprised that Esme was able to get through to you all."

After he finished, Morticia looked to the girls with an arched brow. "Any of you guys want to say something? The floor's open? Really, be my guest. This is a perfect opportunity."

Alice looked as if she were vibrating from excitement while Rosalie was a poster child for contempt. The blonde vampire gave her a soft smile, "I'm happy for you and my brother. I know I may act like a bitch at times but I do have a heart...for some people."

Morticia laughed slightly as Alice chimed in, "I can't wait to plan the wedding!!!! I've already got the catalogs ordered!"

'Oh great. I say I love him and Alice is already planning my wedding. What's next, my funeral?'

As the laughter died down the weight of the day's events seemed to fully hit her. She practically melted further into Edward's embrace as she looked back out into the dark forest surrounding the home.

He seemed to notice her fatigue as he played with her hair gently. "I think it's time for the not so human to go to bed. I assume even the fae need sleep."

Morticia sleepily replied, "I'd love to but I'm sure you guys have more questions and I don't think Fauna is done explaining everything."

The fae in question emerged mysteriously from the kitchen area. "Oh, there's no need for that. We can worry about any missing plot points tomorrow. Morticia, I fixed you a light snack of some fruits and saltines for you to take upstairs. Don't think I didn't notice you skipping meals recently. Edward, please make sure that she finishes her meal before bed as I'm sure she'll try to convince you to let her go to bed instead."

Inwardly, Morticia groaned at the prospect of being babysat by her vampire boyfriend who she knew would have no reservations about making sure she ate her appropriate three meals a day.

'great. Now I have another mother figure to look out for me. As if I didn't already have a coven of vampires on my ass.'

"But there's still so much to talk about....the wolves don't know.." She tried to protest through her yawns as Edward gently picked her up into a bridal carry.

"Nothing to worry about now, love. I'm sure Carlisle will have no trouble setting up a meeting with our resident wolf pack. In fact, I'd love to meet the wolf who took a chunk out of my charge's shoulder. I might even practice a few hexes I've been working on. Quite tricky those can be."

Morticia couldn't even muster up the strength to form a response as Edward carried her up the stairs and towards his bedroom. He settled her on the bed and in a flash was back with her tray of food in hand. Her stomach did give a slight grumble as she saw it but for some reason, her appetite didn't have the same idea.

"You really don't have to watch me eat this. Fauna was just fucking with you. I'm fine, I just want to sleep." She tried to move the tray aside but a pale hand extending a block of cheese stood in her way.

She followed the hand with her eyes and met Edward's imploring gaze. "Please, for me."

"If you think I'm going to let you feed me like this is some cheesy porno then you are dead wrong, buster." she scoffed as the grabbed the cube and practically threw it in her mouth, chewing angrily.

Edward sighed as he moved to settle in beside her. "Is it really so horrible for me to want to do those things for you?"

She turned towards him and sighed, "Look. I understand that you're literally from a different time, but...the things that were normal in your time aren't really normal now. Where you come from being courteous and a gentleman is ingrained in your DNA but where I'm from if a guy does things like that the only thing he wants is to get in your pants. Not a marriage proposal." 

Morticia knew she was making things difficult but it was hard to be so accepting and open in a new relationship when she had seen how cruel and awful people could be to the ones they claimed to 'love.'

As she mused on her thoughts Edward took her hand gently in his and moved to kneel on the bed in front of her. 

"I'm not going to pretend to know what you're thinking, but...Morticia Rose Addams, I promise you my intentions are solely pure. I know that sounds ridiculous coming from someone like me, but it's true. You're right. In my time if I had met you I would have rushed to your father for permission to court you. We would have taken long walks in the park...gone to see a picture and dinner...and I may have even tried my luck to steal a kiss. I know times are different now and I would never wish to take away your independence....but please, may I ask for your permission to show you with simple gestures how much you mean to me?"

She reached out to cup his jaw in her hand and watched in amazement as he nuzzled into her palm. Ever so slowly she moved her face closer to his and pressed her lips to his in a very soft kiss.

"You've got to stop saying romantic shit like that, I'm sorry babe. Unless you want me trying to jump your bones 24/7 which will not go great for my street cred. I have an image of a raging gothic bitch to keep up and you're ruining it by making me a lovesick fool." Her voice was breathless as she pulled away.

"I have to admit the idea of you making a scene like that in front of all those idiot boys in school does temp me very much." His voice was a deep growl that made her shiver.

"How about we make a deal then. I'll let you be more lovey-dovey in public with me if...you decide to explore some more adult content when we're alone. I know that you don't believe in sex before marriage and I respect that...but I really don't plan on getting married for a few years and if you make me try to abstain from touching you sexually for that long, you really are too cruel."

Edward chuckled as he nuzzled into her neck laying down cold, soft kisses as he went. "I'm very conflicted at the moment. A part of me wants to be every bit the gentleman my parents raised me to be...but another part of me wants to give into my teenage desires and have you at the next opportunity." 

Morticia let out a chuckle as his lips traveled towards her collarbone and teased the lace collar of her dress. 

"Then how about a compromise. We push the boundaries slightly, but if one of us feels like its too much then we stop." Her hands moved to caress his copper hair as he hummed against her chest. 

"I have a feeling you are going to be one wicked temptrest...so how on earth can I refuse?"

Morticia tugged on his hair slightly to get him to look up at her. "That's the idea, loverboy. To use my feminine wiles to seduce you into bed for all eternity. I'm surprised it took you this long to figure it out."

She laughed as he surged up and claimed her lips again but after they separated he brought up a ripe blood-red cherry to her lips.

"Very fitting, yes?" he said as she bit into the fruit. Some juice escaped her lips, but before she could reach out to wipe it away, Edward had already taken his finger and wiped it away. 

"You're really making this difficult." She groaned as he continuously fed her the food that was on the tray.

After the food was finished, they both relaxed on the bed. Neither one was initiating any conversation but they were both content to enjoy the silence. Morticia knew they had crossed major lines tonight, both emotionally and sexually. She wasn't sure what the future held, but she was happy to have Edward by her side.

"Hey, you two! We don't hear any talking so you both better be getting to bed! Edward, you better not be defiling our baby sister!!!!" Emmett hollered through the door causing the other housemates to chuckle. 

Edward groaned and nuzzled his head deeper into her chest. "Is it too late to become an only child in a vampire foster family?"

Morticia just laughed and ran her fingers through his silky locks, humming to herself softly. If Edward thought Bella was his own brand of heroin.....he was her own personal heaven and she never wanted to leave.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stormi remembers a key point from the books and discovers some more information about her birth parents

The first coherent thing she felt was a cold fluttering of pressure against her prominent cheekbones and the familiar warmth of the Washington sun against her skin. Once she opened her eyes fully she took a moment to realize that she wasn’t back at Tony’s house. 

Looking to her left she was relieved to see Edward relaxing beside her with what seemed to be a dream like smile on his face.

“Morning, love.” His voice was honey sweet to her ears as he moved to play with her hair slightly. 

She chose not to respond and instead shut her eyes with a subtle hum, completely content to just enjoy this moment. She would’ve been happy to lay there for the entire day- because why not there wasn’t any school- until she felt a very familiar pain in her lower stomach.

‘oh no. please don’t let that be what I think it is..’ She thought to herself as she tried to come up with some kind of excuse to move out of Edward’s arms without causing a scene.

“Um…I think I need a human moment. A very important one…” She said softly turning her head towards him.

Edward opened his eyes and she noticed they were a deep amber color. “If you’re worried about what I think you are then you shouldn’t be.”

Morticia chuckled softly and rolled her eyes, “are we seriously being this vague about me possibly being on my period? Are we at that awkward stage of our relationship?”

You know, she had always wondered how Bella and Edward managed to make their relationship work when mother nature decided to visit…. Was Edward able to smell it? As weird as that sounds

Edward smirked and pressed a kiss into her hair, inhaling deeply. “Your scent does change slightly. It intensifies…. I’d compare it to what animals smell when a female goes into heat.”

“Just as long as you don’t feel the need to use my tampons for tea bags, I think we’ll be alright.” She chuckled at his horrified expression. 

‘I guess that old school propriety is still there, even if it’s slightly buried.’

Morticia groaned as she sat up, immediately feeling a huge migraine coming as her cramps worsened.  
‘fuck. I forgot how awful they were…’

Right as she was wondering how she was going to get ibuprofen in a house full of vampires, Esme entered the room after knocking quietly. 

“Sorry to barge in dear, but Carlisle thought you might be needing this.”

In her hands, she was carrying a tray full of chocolate, Midol, and her specific brand of tampons.  
‘Never bet against Alice I guess.’

“Thank you so much Esme. I really appreciate it.” She said as she took the tray from her and made her way to the bathroom.

“Oh, and Carlisle said that if you were feeling any residual pain to let him know.” Esme called to her softly.

Morticia laughed as she paused in the doorway, “Oh don’t tell me that, Esme. Or else I might let him baby me and that’s just not fair to any other woman who has to deal with this!”

After she took care of ‘business’ so to speak, she came back into the room to see Edward standing by the window, staring out into the beautiful forest.

“And what are you thinking so hard about, Loverboy?” She asked as she wrapped her arms around him from behind and inhaled the scent that was purely Edward.

“Esme let me know that we are going to be having guests today and Alice is on edge.”

Morticia hummed slightly, “I’m assuming she’s talking about the wolves. Ugh, I guess it’s time to rehash everything again… great.”

Edward turned and wrapped her in his arms, “I think Fauna can explain everything quickly, it’s just the wolves’ reactions I worry about and with Alice’s blindness when it comes to them….”

He didn’t have to finish that statement, she knew he was thinking about her ‘accident’.

“Let’s just try to get through today, ok? Then we worry about tomorrow? How does that sound?”

She could feel a rumble in his chest that sounded like a purr before he responded, “I think that sounds amazing, love…. if only we were able to enjoy longer moments together hmmm? That’s selfish of me to ask.”

“No, it really isn’t. This whole situation hasn’t been fair to you. We haven’t been able to spend any quality time together since this mess started, but I promise to spend some quality time together soon. I’ll even pinky promise you.” She held up her pink with a smirk and laughed when he locked his pinky with hers, giving her a mock growl as he kissed them. 

“Now that is a wager I plan to hold you accountable.”

Morticia smiled at his serious tone before releasing his pinky and throwing her arms around his neck. She had to stretch onto her tip toes since she wasn’t wearing her platforms to kiss him, but he was ever the gentleman and bent down slightly to meet her lips.

They kissed softly until Edward let out a deep purr which made Morticia giggle and gave him the opportunity to deepen the kiss while dragging her up into his arms. She would’ve been happy to hang off him like a Christmas ornament but Alice seemingly had other plans.

“Quit making out with my brother and get your lazy butt downstairs, Morticia” The tiny vampire called through the door.

Morticia reluctantly pulled away from his enticing lips with a groan of annoyance. “I swear if she makes this a routine…” She trailed off as Edward set her on her feet.

“I’d rather not think of what punishment she’ll fit us with if we don’t follow her orders.” 

She rolled her eyes at his wise answer before stomping over to the door to give the little pixie vamp a piece of her mind. Could you really blame her though? She was on her period and she had a sexy vampire to take care of her- that should automatically be a universal ‘do not disturb.’

Although, when she opened the door she was unsurprised to find the vampire gone but in her place, was a pile of clothes with a note on top- written in beautiful cursive and addressed to her.

‘Morticia,  
I know you haven’t had a chance to move a bunch of your wardrobe over here yet, but I thought this outfit was perfect for you! I know you’ll try to refuse but give it a rest- I’ve already seen you wear it and Edward’s reaction. Think of it like an early birthday present.  
Love, Alice  
p.s you’ll want to wear the shoes I packed with this- NOT your ghastly Doc Martens.

‘hey don’t hate on my docs’ She thought before she read the final line.  
p.p.s, Yes I hate your Docs, but many people can’t pull them off- but somehow you make it work. ’

Morticia shook her head with amusement as she threw the note Edward’s way. With exceptional speed, he intercepted it out of the air and had already finished reading it by the time she turned back around from setting her package on the bed.

“I am quite intrigued to see what she picked for you. Alice has been quite…secretive when it comes to her thoughts related to you.”

Morticia looked down at the items Alice sent her in confusion. It didn’t follow her usual color scheme at all. Where she would usually choose…. well anything black, Alice picked out a deep violet purple long sleeved peasant style dress that was nearly floor length. Definitely not what she would choose herself for a day look- but she wasn’t going to make the mistake of betting against Alice.

She turned to look at Edward with an amused grin, “Well I’m happy she doesn’t tell you every time she gets a glimpse of me in one of her visions. If you haven’t noticed us girls like our privacy sometimes.” With a quick wink, she turned to go change in the bathroom and to add some killer dramatic winged eyeliner to this look. 

Alice may be able to dictate wardrobe choices, but no one would tell Morticia Addams to stop doing her signature dagger wings- they were her staple, besides her docs.

Just as she was finishing her lipstick, Edward knocked on the door and poked his head in.  
She gave him a look in the mirror, “Is this the part where you subtly tell me to hurry because I spent too long making sure my eyeliner was perfect and now Alice is annoying the rest of the family because she thinks I’m cutting it WAY too close?”

Edward smiled as he fully stepped into the room and watched as she finished the last coat of her deep ebony lipstick.

“You are very close. That is likely what Alice would do, especially if it were before a school dance or another event.”

Morticia gave herself a nod in the mirror for her spot-on intuition when a thought struck her.  
‘Dance…dresses… Bella in Port Angeles…FUCK.’

“Edward… when is the next school dance?” Her spine straightened and her tone fell flat as she turned to look at him.

Edward looked confused at her mood change but answered her anyway. “Um, I think it’s next weekend? Possibly sooner. I’m not the best one to ask as I rarely ever attend them. Alice would be better to ask, love. Why the sudden interest? Do you want-“

Morticia cut him off as she all but bolted out of the bathroom and threw on her shoes in a rush.  
‘Fuck Alice stole my Docs while I was getting ready. Damn, I don’t know if I can fuck up those guys in heels. Shit.’

She ran down the stairs and refused to acknowledge the others confused glances. The wolves hadn’t arrived yet, thankfully.  
“Alice please tell me the next dance is months away and not next weekend!”

Alice looked surprised and shocked,” Oh, I didn’t think you were into dances. Um, there’s one coming up next weekend! Just enough time-“

Morticia stopped listening after she confirmed her fears. She had to help Bella. Yeah, sure, she may not be the girl’s biggest fan but she couldn’t let those assholes get ahold of her and with her out of commission her timeline was all fucked. Damnit, she should’ve had time to prepare. 

Taking a deep, shaky breath she grabbed Edward’s keys out of the bowl by the door and rushed out the door. 

“There’s no time to explain Alice but you need to look into Bella Swan’s future right now!!!” She called as she ran to Edward’s car and hurried to start it. Before she pulled out of the driveway she saw Edward standing outside on the front steps with a confused look on his face.

She knew the moment Alice showed him Bella’s future as his face morphed into one of pure horror and she could tell she needed to book it or else he would follow her- and she didn’t need the distraction.

‘I love you, trust me’ She mouthed as she backed out of the drive way and sped away.

Thank god Edward’s car had a GPS in it- one that was able to look up dress shops in Port Angeles. It showed a handful of results but thankfully they were all in close proximity to each other so she just picked one in the middle. 

She sped down the road as fast as she felt comfortable without getting a ticket. That one would be hard to explain to Tony. ‘Hey Uncle Tony, sorry I was speeding, I was trying to save one of my schoolmates from being gang raped in an alley- forgive me?’

It wasn’t long before she made it into town and found a suitable parking spot. Just as she was trying to pick a place to start looking, she noticed Bella’s figure in the store window across the street.

‘Well that was easy.’

It appeared that she wasn’t the only one that noticed as the guys she had been expecting moved into her vision and began to pester the girls by knocking on the window.

When the girls blew them off she noticed they immediately went in search of a liquor store and the aspect made her scoff. 

‘how typical for men of their class. Tactless fools, the lot of them.’

She threw on a happy smile as she strutted across the street, prepared to greet Bella and her friends. Fate was not on her side so it seemed because as soon as she was close to the door, she heard a voice cat call to her, “Woo-wee. Damn girl, why don’t you come hang out with me for a bit… I’ll make sure you feel real nice.”

There was one boy that had hung back from the group and had turned back to see her crossing the street. Great.

Not one to back down to such a lovely compliment, she channeled all her bitchiness that she could, threw her hair back over her shoulder and stated bluntly, “Keep dreaming, loser. The only woman who would touch you requires payment up front.” 

The boys ‘oooh’ as she opened the shop door and headed inside, not noticing the boy’s menacing stare at her back as she entered.

Morticia quickly dodged the perky sales associated who assumed she had money to burn based on how she was dressed and made her way to where Bella was seated. Angela and Jessica were in the changing rooms so that made things a tad easier. 

Trying not to be suspicious she acted like she was browsing the racks when she heard Bella’s timid voice ask, “M-Morticia? Is that you?”

She turned to the girl in schooled surprise,” Bella! I thought that was you but I wasn’t sure! What a coincidence I run into you here?!”

Bella looked the woman up and down in astonishment, enough to where it made Morticia curse Alice’s extravagant nature. This would be so much easier if she wasn’t wearing a dress that probably cost more than this entire store combined, not including the shoes.

“Um… wow, you look incredible. I- mean you always look amazing, It’s just I’ve never seen you not in…”Bella finished dumbly and started playing with her hair. 

‘poor girl. We really must work on that confidence.’

Morticia chuckled and did a slight spin, “You’ve never seen me no wearing all black? It’s alright, you can say it. I have an aesthetic that is unique to this town. You can blame Edward’s sister Alice for the change in wardrobe…. early birthday present.”

“Oh, when was your birthday?” Bella asked as she gathered her things and made to stand.

“Alice is a bit of an overachiever. My birthday isn’t until October 31st.” She replied rolling her eyes in mock annoyance.

Bella’s eyes widened slightly, “wow. But that’s coming up soon isn’t it. It’s the weekend after the school dance, isn’t it?”  
Mortcia nodded, “Yeah. Sorry, my days have been messed up since…ya know.” She gestured to her now fully healed shoulder.

Bella nodded empathetically, “Right. The accident. How are you doing with that by the way? I noticed that you aren’t wearing your brace or any bandages.”

‘Damn this girl is too conservative for her own good.’

“oh, yeah, Carlisle said that on weekends I can give it a breather since I’m not doing any ‘strenuous’ activity like I would be at school. I just thought it would be a good idea to get out of the house away from everything for a bit.”

Bella looked down at her shoes awkwardly, “Um yeah. I stopped by your house yesterday to ask you what you wanted to do about the English project but your uncle said you were staying over at the Cullens, so….”

Mortcia groaned at Tony’s unknowing interference. “Yeah, I wanted to spend some quality time with Edward, you know? We hadn’t seen each other hardly at all since my accident and I think we needed some bonding time.”

‘Bonding time that we probably will never get since I’m having to save you and then get a HUGE lecture later.’

“That’s right, you and Edward are t-together. That’s great. Awesome.”

Her tone held slight resentment which Morticia expected. She knew there was still a part of Bella that would always be attracted to Edward and vice versa but she knew that Bella wasn’t mean enough to try to impose her feelings onto a happy couple. She was too selfless for that and it made Morticia’s heart warm for the girl.

She was saved from giving a response when Jessica and Angela returned from the changing rooms in their normal clothes. 

They were both shocked to see her standing there talking to Bella.  
“Oh, wow. Morticia! I didn’t expect you here? And where did you get that gorgeous dress?” Jessica’s jealousy permeated the atmosphere and it made her grimace.

“Oh this? Alice decided to add some color to my wardrobe. Terribly horrid I think. Black is such a sleek color and to supplement it with anything less would just be inhumane.”

The look on Jessica’s face was priceless. Morticia was sure if she flushed anymore her face would look like face paint instead of skin.  
Angela was the only one of the two to have a genuine heart and gave her a charming smile. “I think that color looks lovely on you Morticia. It really brings out your eyes….did you get contacts?”

‘fuck I forgot about my eyes.’  
“Yes actually I did. Turns out that sometime during my accident a stray piece of debris got into my eye and I had to have it removed but when that happened the doctor prescribed special contact lenses to help my eye to heal. He let me choose from all sorts of colors but Edward said he liked these ones the best.”

‘Ha. Shove it Stanley.’

Angela looked worried and Jessica’s mouth turned into a frown. Deciding there was nothing more to say, she turned back to Bella.

“I noticed you are an avid book reader, is that right?” at her nod she continued, “Marvelous, I was wanting to check out this bookshop that had some history on witchcraft but only one shop has it and I am too afraid to go alone. Would you care to go with me?”

Morticia knew Bella would never let up on going to that book shop to read up on the Cullens so why not join her to make sure she doesn’t get herself into even more trouble?

“Oh, that’s actually perfect. Bella was just saying how she wanted to check out a book store on the edge of town. I’m sure that’s the one you’re talking about, Morticia.” Angela said sweetly as she gathered her things from beside Bella’s bags.

“Um, yeah that’s pretty p-perfect. Thanks.”

Morticia clapped her hands gently, “well, since this all worked out, Bella would you care if I drove? Edward loaned me his baby for today and I’d rather not get her towed.”

“Actually, Bella rode with us so that works out great.” Jessica pithed in from beside Angela.

She smiled as she girls said their goodbyes and the two made their way to Edward’s Volvo. Morticia made sure to check her surroundings as they went but she didn’t see any of those creeps around, or her vampires for that matter.

‘Alice must be keeping them back because she’s worried about Bella finding out…. hmm’

The two girls drove in silence, which was quite extensive as the bookstore Bella wanted to go to was way longer than walking distance. How that girl made it that far without being caught up in something dangerous, she’d never know.

As soon as they made it to the bookshop Morticia noticed the dark clouds rolling in. They didn’t appear to be storm clouds but their ominous appearance set her on edge- more so than she already was.

Bella sent little time in the store as she found the title she had been looking for very very quickly. Almost as if she had researched exactly which book she needed….

As the two made their way back towards the car Morticia immediately knew they were being followed. The hairs on the back of her neck were tingling and her stomach tightened.

“Bella. When I say run, you run.” She whispered to the brunette girl as they were approached by four familiar hoodlums.

“Ah, looky here boys. It’s those pretty girls from the dress store.” The leader called to them as the others attempted to circle them to lock them in.

“I think you mean the pretty one and the bitch.” The one she insulted sniped as he entered her personal space.

“If you don’t back the fuck up, I’ll show you just how bitchy I can be.” Morticia growled as she moved to cover Bella with her body.

“I think we’re gonna have some fun with this one boys…she’s feisty. I call first dibs.” The leader said as he stalked towards them.

“Bella run now. RUN NOW.” Morticia instructed with a slight push. She didn’t have time to worry about Bella’s lack of coordination as she had the leader’s full attention. 

There was something in the way he was looking at her that made her blood boil and her skin to vibrate. She knew what he was thinking and she wanted to rip him to pieces.

Before she knew what she was doing she had the leader pressed up against the brick wall with her hand around his neck in a choking grip. The other boys jumped back alarmed at her sudden movement.

Morticia snarled at the boy in her grip as he struggled to breath, his face was already turning an alarming shade of purple.

“What kind of fun were you envisioning, hmmm? Was this what you had in mind?” She was practically spitting in anger. 

The other boys attempted to scatter but she couldn’t have that. She quickly dropped leader boy and using a speed she didn’t know she had she flashed in front of the other three.

“Now where are you boys off to? I thought this was a party? Are we not having fun?” She back slapped one boy so hard that he flew a good six feet away and landed on his back unconscious.  
The final two stared at her in amazement.

“Now…who’s next?” She said calmly as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. The boys looked at each other before pointing at their counterpart. 

“Awe now that’s a shame. I was really looking forward to some one-on-one. Oh, well I guess two birds, one stone works just fine.” She retorted as she sashayed up to them and in one move crashed their heads together, easily rendering them unconscious blobs. 

Turning back to the leader, she noticed he was trying his best to crawl away. Oh no that won’t do.

“Where do you think, you’re going, sweetie?” She asked as she stood over him. He looked up at her in alarm and tried to crawl faster.

She easily picked him up and threw him up against the wall again. Noticing the fear in his eyes made her smile. That’s more like it.

“We weren’t finished with our chat, sweetie. Now listen very closely…” She stared deeply into his eyes and focused all of her ‘power’ into controlling his every move.  
“You are going to collect your boys and the four of you are going to head to the nearest police station and confess to all of the horrible things we both know you all have committed. Also, you will not remember me or the girl I was with. You all got really drunk and decided to confess, end of story.”

The boy’s eyes got very glassy as he basically repeated exactly what she said.  
‘Woah, do I have compulsion?’

She dropped him with a flourish and made it a move to step over his crumpled body as she searched for Bella. The brunette woman couldn’t have gotten far, and she was proven right. As soon as she turned the next corner, Emmett’s jeep came speeding towards her and Edward’s Volvo was soon behind it. 

In a flash the entire family was in front of her, all of them concerned but Edward looked down right pissed. Bella was there too, looking very uncomfortable as she stood next to Fauna and Alice.

“Alright before I get some massive lecture, can we please give me validation for whooping four annoying guy’s asses. I think that deserves some credit, right?!” She smiled brightly but it fell as she noticed the shocked looks on everyone’s faces.

“What? What is it? Oh, come on. Seriously! I’m fine! Carlisle can even check me out later- I promise!”

The others still hadn’t said a word and it was Bella who broke the silence.  
“I don’t think that’s what they’re freaking out over, Morticia… You- uh….you kind of…have fangs?”

Morticia stumbled back startled, “Bella I think you might have hit your head, dear, because I would know if I suddenly grew f-“ As she was talking her tongue brushed up against something very pointy in her mouth- something that was very much not there thirty minutes ago.

She quickly ran over to the nearest car mirror and screamed when she saw the tiny yet very sharp new additions to her mouth.

“and she can flash around like us now too?” Emmett called out as she ran her fingers over her new fangs in astonishment. How the hell was she supposed to hide these? AND WHY DIDN’T FAUNA WARN HER?!

She turned to the fae in question with a very annoyed glare. Fauna was fidgeting slightly and refused to meet her eyes. 

‘She’s hiding something.’  
Morticia flashed in front of Fauna, startling both the brunettes and flashed her fangs in anger.  
“You better tell me everything right now, pixie. Or I swear there will be blood spilled on these streets and I don’t care who sees.”

Fauna hesitated and her eyes shifted to everyone present before they finally settled on her.  
“why don’t we-“

“No Fauna! You are going to explain everything right here right now. I’m tired of playing games with you. I deserve to know whatever it is that you’re hiding.” 

Screw the face that Bella was here. She was bound to find out eventually.

The brunette fae took a moment before shakily replying, “When I told you that you were fae…that was not a lie, just not the entire truth. You are fae, but only half. Your mother was fae royalty, but your father…”

“What?! Tell me!” Morticia snarled as she moved closer to Fauna who sighed, “A vampire. Your father was a vampire…. which makes you a hybrid.”

Morticia stepped back from the woman in shock, she looked to the others who looked just as confused as she was.  
A hybrid? Seriously? What was this ‘the Vampire Diaries?’  
Before she had time to process anything the first words that came out of her mouth were, “ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?” before she proceeded to punch a hole in the nearest brick wall.


	17. CHAPTER 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morticia finally learns the hard truth about her parents and Bella begins to learn just what the hell is going on in Forks

Previously on OUAD:  
The brunette fae took a moment before shakily replying, “When I told you that you were fae…that was not a lie, just not the entire truth. You are fae, but only half. Your mother was fae royalty, but your father…”

“What?! Tell me!” Morticia snarled as she moved closer to Fauna who sighed, “A vampire. Your father was a vampire…. which makes you a hybrid.”

Morticia stepped back from the woman in shock, she looked to the others who looked just as confused as she was.  
A hybrid? Seriously? What was this ‘the Vampire Diaries?’  
Before she had time to process anything the first words that came out of her mouth were, “ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?” before she proceeded to punch a hole in the nearest brick wall.

Morticia’s Pov:

She knew she seemed to be glaring at the brunette in front of her but mentally she was just trying to play catch up.

‘I’m half fae…and half vampire..how?’

But she didn’t have time to process it. They were on an abandoned side walk in downtown Port Angeles, very much not the place to have a conversation like this. 

Slowly she turned back to her family with a worried expression. Carlisle seemed to be having a mental conversation with Edward and Jasper was giving her such an intense brotherly look that she almost crumpled into an emotional mess right there. He moved to wrap her in a hug but she just subtly shook her head and mouthed ‘later.’ 

Rosalie was looking at her with searing pity and remorse. The remorse she knew stemmed from her vampire side, but the pity she couldn’t pin point the reason for. Perhaps it was how her life suddenly seemed to run full speed and never settle- or how her ‘seemingly normal’ relationship was about to get much more abnormal.

With a sigh she turned to Alice who was looking at her with venom filled amber eyes. She knew if Alice could cry she would be sobbing into her shoulder. The idea that she isn’t seeing any of this must kill her, so she couldn’t blame her. It was hard enough for Alice to get visions of her in danger, let alone life shattering revelations. 

“Has anyone contacted the wol- the boys on the reservation? I know Carlisle was supposed to help Seth and Caleb with their history project.” She tried to cover her slip up and looked to Bella to see if she noticed.

Bella seemed to be in her own realm of shock. She kept glancing between Morticia and the Cullens with a mixed look of confusion and curiosity.

‘Oh great. This isn’t going to help her theories. Well, she’s already seen the fangs, might as well bring her along for the ride.’

“We called to let them know we had an emergency. They’re waiting for us at the house as we speak.” Jasper said as he wrapped his wife in a loving embrace. She smiled at the couple before grabbing Bella by the arm gently.

Bella startled at the contact and Morticia quickly pulled her hands away in surrender, “Woah, hey. Look, I know the fangs are scary but I promise I’m not going to hurt you so please let me explain.” The brunette nodded her head gently, still a little shaken up as Morticia guided her towards the others.

“Listen we can’t have this conversation here. There are too many ears, so I’m going to ride with you to the Cullen’s house where we can all talk this out, alright. Please try to scream after the entire story has been told and please keep all hands inside the vehicle at all times, mkay?” She smiled when Bella chuckled at her attempt of a joke but her smile died when she noticed the look that Edward was giving her. 

His eyes held so much pain, she couldn’t help but go to him. As soon as she was in range he grabbed her in his embrace and buried his face in her neck. She recognized that this was how he calmed himself, it was a way to ensure she was safe- by smelling and hearing her blood rush in her veins. 

She ran her fingers through his hair gently and whispered low enough so only vampire hearing could detect, “I love you. I’m here and I’m safe, honey. I promise I’m not leaving you.”  
He pulled back eventually and without thinking she reached up to press her lips to his. She had meant it to be a chaste kiss but as usual when his hands began to roam her waist all thoughts of propriety went out the window.

Had Emmett not coughed obnoxiously loud, they may have stayed in their moment for ages. But as soon as their bubble was popped she realized they had to go back to the reality that was their lives. With one last kiss she whispered, “later,” against his lips before turning in his embrace to face the others.

“Alright, we all need to reconvene at the house. Bella, you can ride with Edward and myself, everyone else can pair up however they like and Fauna you better not be planning a disappearing act because I guarantee you won’t like my response.” With one last glare sent to the fae she let Edward guide her in the direction of the Volvo she had parked in front of the dress shop. 

After a few blocks, Bella finally broke the silence, “So are we not going to talk about what happened back there? Morticia took down four guys by herself and now she has fangs? And how did you know where to find us, Edward?” 

As She walked hand in hand with Edward, Morticia called back her answer to Bella without even stopping her stride. “Bella, sweetie…I think you’ll find that in this family, the less you ask questions, the more answers you’ll receive. I promise that you’ll be filled in shortly but for now please don’t attract any attention. The last thing we need is a blood bath on our hands.”

Wisely, Bella didn’t ask any more questions and they soon found themselves back at the familiar dress shop. 

Edward instinctively opened Bella’s door for her, which made her blush a bright shade of crimson, before turning and opening Morticia’s door. 

“Thank you,” She murmured as she settled herself into her seat. Edward was obviously trying not to flash to the driver’s side, but he still moved way too fast to be considered human.

He said nothing as he started the car, fiddled with the heating/AC and quickly threw the car into drive. Morticia was shocked that he didn’t squeal his tires at the speed he was going. 

As they began to quickly make their way back to Forks, Morticia was quietly mulling over what she knew Fauna was still holding back. If it was that easy to say that she was a hybrid then she would have conveyed that to her in a dream, but why wait until she popped her fangs? There had to be more to the story, something that she knew was either going to make or break her…and possibly Edward.

Speaking of Edward, he was still Stoic as ever, barely looking in her direction and that made her stomach twist in horrible knots. She knew he was very much pissed that she ran off without any warning as to what she was getting herself into but she couldn’t just let Bella go through that on her own! She knew Rosalie would understand her reasoning, so maybe she should get the blonde vampire to step in on her behalf once Edward started his inevitable ranting.

A shock went through her as a cold, marble hand slipped over hers that she had laying in her lap. She looked up quickly and saw that Edward was giving her his award-winning smirk she was beginning to hate- it always meant that he was about to give her some smart-ass comment.

“You’re staring. Why? Is it the fangs? It’s the fangs, damn it. I wish I could figure out how to cover-“

He cut her off with a chuckle, “No. No, it’s not the fangs. Although they do look adorable on you,” She glared at him which resulted in another laugh, “I was just going to tell you that you have clearly won Rosalie’s favor tonight.”

Morticia looked at him in shock. “What?” He asked as his brow furrowed.

“Are you sure that you can’t read my mind?” She whispered slightly eying Bella in the back seat who was watching the two with apt interest- even if she was trying to fake it by occasionally glancing out the car window.

“I don’t have to read your mind. I know you enough to know what’s going on in that gorgeous head of yours.”

Her heart fluttered at the statement and she was sure she was blushing like crazy. Quickly she turned her gaze to the rearview mirror where she was met with Bella’s shocked and embarrassed gaze. Instead of calling the girl out for watching them she just smiled full fangs at her and winked. 

They spent the rest of their journey in comfortable silence but Morticia kept her hand in her lap, still clutched tightly to Edwards, absent mindedly running her fingers against his knuckles.

The rest of the family were waiting outside once they finally made it down the long winding driveway to the house. Fauna was nowhere to be seen, which caused Morticia to raise her eyebrow as she scanned the scene in front of her. 

Carlisle’s face was calm but she knew mentally he was asking Edward no less than fifty questions. As the three of them approached she could hear raised voices coming from inside the house. It wasn’t fully yelling but was gaining the title. 

Her confused gaze prompted Carlisle to answer her question in that ever soft voice of his, “ I believe Fauna and a certain Mr. Black have had quite the disagreement. It seems as if the question of who was your favorite came into play once she began to explain everything and well-“

“YOU POMPOUS ARSEHOLE. I WOULDN’T TOUCH YOU WITH A THIRTY FOOT POLE ON A GOOD DAY! UGH YOU BLOODY-“ A loud crash could be heard, cutting off Fauna’s statement. 

‘What could Jacob have done that would be so horrible? It’s not as if…Oh, shit. Tell me he didn’t imprint.’

The look Edward gave her was enough confirmation and Emmett’s loud chuckle solidified her theory.

“I bet you $100 that the little fairy beats the big bad wolf.” Emmett said in a mock whisper to Jasper who smirked and clapped him on the shoulder. “I’ll take that bet.”

Morticia rolled her eyes at the display and moved to be the first one to enter the house.  
“well I guess that I am the only one brave enough to face Fauna’s anger.” She called back to the others as she stepped into the foyer, already sensing that Edward was close behind. 

The sight that welcomed her nearly made her choke on laughter. Fauna was brandishing one of Esme’s rarely used silver cooking knives out in front of her as Jacob cowered in the corner. The rest of the wolves watched from the opposite side of the living room in awe as the brunette fae proceeded to stalk Jacob in obvious anger.

“If you think for one second that I would lose my focus and let her be in danger…you are dead wrong, wolf. You don’t know a thing about me and you likely never will so why don’t you just put that silly imprinting business out of your pea sized brain, mmkay.”

Morticia knew she had to intervene before Fauna turned Jake into a wolf shishkabob. While the idea did seem interesting, it wouldn’t be as nice to see Esme’s lovely floor drenched in wolf blood.

“Fauna!” she cried as the brunette finally acknowledged her presence. “Care to tell me what the hell happened between the two of you in such a short amount of time?”

She put her hands on her hips and watched as Jacob shifted, giving her a sheepish look.   
Morticia groaned into her hand, “What did you do, Jake?”

“Hey! How do you know she didn’t do anything?!” He cried as he pointed at Fauna who was still holding the knife and raised it threateningly as he said that.

“Which one of you has the short temper, Jake? You clearly are the one who instigated whatever the fuck I just walked in on. Speaking of…don’t all speak at once but somebody better get to talking.”

It was then that a separate voice rang out to her, one she didn’t expect to hear.   
“Um.. I think it’s safe to say that Jake found his imprint…and then successfully pissed her off.” Caleb moved out from behind Seth slowly and gave her a charming smile. She noticed that they quickly joined hands and the loving look they gave each other made her heart warm.

“What are you doing here Caleb? I thought you were-.” She stopped short because she realized that in the craziness of the last few days she truly hadn’t kept in touch very much with her cousin. How self-conceded could she be? Caleb was probably crazy excited to tell her all about Seth and she wasn’t there for him…..

Caleb shrugged and leaned into Seth slightly, “I was on the Rez, hanging out with Seth when he was called to come here and when I heard that it involved you I told him there was no way he was leaving me behind.”

She smiled at him brightly but the smile diminished when she realized what was about to transpire that night. The whole truth was going to be made apparent and her truth was going to be broadcasted to every supernatural being in the room. Great.

“Caleb, there’s nothing wrong, there have just been some- ah, new developments…with me.”

He gave her a confused look but she continued, “Just trust me, it’s all a very long story but I need Fauna to calm down to help me tell it.” She turned to the couple still fighting in the kitchen. “Do you two think you can calm yourselves for the evening or do I need to get the water hose?”

They both looked at her with annoyance but she refused to back down.   
‘They can deal with their relationship issues later. I need answers right now and I’d rather not have to deal with a weird imprint sexual tension.’

Right as she thought she could finally get everyone settled and the conversation started, the universe decided to fuck with her plans once again…. of course.

Bella swan chose at that moment to burst into the room, surprisingly without tripping. She looked at everyone in the room before she settled on Morticia. 

“The Cullens are Vampires?! That’s the secret everybody’s been keeping!”

Morticia just threw her head back and groaned in response, “I so don’t need to deal with this today. Fuck.” She rubbed her temples softly, already preparing for the raging migraine when she heard Jacob’s roaring laughter. 

She opened her eyes to see Paul looking at Bella in astonishment…almost as if he…no fucking way!  
‘Well it seems like Bella Swan was always meant to be in the world of the supernatural. That makes things a tad easier I guess, but not for Paul it seems.’

Bella was looking at Paul in slight revulsion and it made Morticia smirk. She knew Bella was definitely not going to be one to take shit from Paul, even with the imprint. 

“Will somebody tell me why that guy is staring at me…and why do you guys all have those tattoos?! Jake, did you join a cult or something?!”

Deciding that this would indefinitely go one forever, she decided to quickly shut down her rambling. 

“Bella, I swear everything will be explained, but I think that specific question can only be answered by Paul himself. For now we have other things to discuss.” Turning to the direction of the front door she called, “You can come in now you cowards! I did most of the ice breaking and damage control!”

The rest of the Cullens made their way through the door silently, but they all had amused faces, especially Emmett who was trying to get a rise out of Rosalie.   
“Come on Rose, she was gonna find out eventually. I just thought I should give her a push.”  
“You were just showing off for the human, Em. You did nothing but agitate her.”  
Morticia looked at Edward in confusion as he walked to her side and grabbed her hand. 

“Emmett decided to show Bella some of our…talents, and made a show of lifting the car….the rest you can imagine.” His eyes were sparkling with amusement as he relived the thought.

“You can’t be angry with him. I did punch a brick wall right in front of her and showed my fangs. I think she already knows there is something strange here.” Morticia turned to Fauna, “Speaking of fangs, any idea how to make these guys go away?” she asked flashing her slender, razor sharp teeth.

Fauna, having calmed herself and situated herself a great distance from Jake, shook her hand, “Of course, Darling. It’s all in the glamour magic. All you have to do is envision yourself without the fangs and they should just pop away. They’ll always be there when you need them, but I can see how you would need to hide them from humans. Please not the eyes though, love. They were your mother’s.”

Her head whipped around at the mention of her mother. “I think it’s time we put everything out in the open, Fauna, and I do mean everything.”

Fauna looked conflicted,” Are you sure you’re ready to hear everything, love. It isn’t the happiest of tales.”

Morticia straightened her shoulders and took a deep breath, “I need to know who I am Fauna.” She looked back at the others in the room, the ones who had become her pseudo family, “And they need to know the full story as well. It’s time.”

Fauna paused for a moment then motioned for her to take a seat on the nearest couch. The others chose to stand, not entirely knowing their place at the moment.

Morticia began to worry when Fauna refused to meet her eyes and seemed to falter every time she tried to speak. 

“Please remember, dear, that my sole interest has been to protect you. I would never, ever wish to harm you.” She shot a pointed look at Jacob and Morticia could guess that was likely what they were arguing over earlier.

“why don’t you start with why I have fangs. You said that my father was a vampire, but I thought you said that my parents were fae royalty?”

“Yes, that much is true, love. Your mother, Athenodora, was next in line to be Queen. She was to be married to a fae suitor of her father’s choosing but then she met your father, Vladimir. Oh, how he fell so fast in love with her. After a fortnight, the two had planned to run away with each other and what they didn’t know was that your mother was pregnant with you at the time. Your father, Vladimir, was what you would call a traditional vampire. He had afflictions to the sunlight and a very rare herb, I believe you call it vervain.”

Morticia had to interject, “Wait, so you’re telling me that my father was a full-on Vampire Diaries type vampire?!”

Fauna smirked, “Where do you think they learned it all. The best television is based in fact you know.” She then continued more somber, “Your grandfather Kind Stephen was furious when he found out about your mother’s dalliance. He ordered Vladimir to be killed and for you to be as well. It was on the night that you were born that your parents entrusted me with your care. We three decided there in that room that you had to be hidden from our world. Your grandfather as well as others seeking your power would stop at nothing to have you killed or your powers stolen. It was I who brought up the idea to conceal you in another realm, but I knew your powers would be too great for my magic, so I put in a deadline. The Illusion would end three nights before your twenty first birthday as that would be when you would reach maturity and your powers would show.”

‘That’s exactly the same time I was transported here, and right around the same time as my ‘fight’ with the wolves…crazy.’ She thought as Fauna gave her a stricken look.

“There’s something you aren’t telling me…isn’t there.”

Fauna hung her head and replied in a voice filled with tears, “I didn’t have enough magic entirely on my own to send you here, darling. For my magic is only equal to that of a servant. Your mother…she sacrificed herself to give me the power needed to save you. I’m so sorry love, there was nothing I could do. Your father tried to-“ But her voice was drowned out by the heavy ringing in Fauna’s ears.

“Is he dead too?” She asked in a numb voice. Her eyes were swimming with unshed tears as she looked at her ‘godmother’- that is if she could be called that. “Do I have anyone left that you didn’t magic up for me?!”

Fauna’s eyes lowered and it sent a pang through Morticia’s heart. “He isn’t confirmed dead, love. It’s just that, after your mother sacrificed herself and your grandfather waging a war with vampires- he…well, to put it plainly dear, he vanished. No one has seen him since that night.”

Morticia closed her eyes in grief. ‘Of course, I’m the reason the woman he loved is dead and who would want a hybrid for a daughter. Not entirely vampire- not entirely a fae….one of a kind, ain’t that a bitch.”

She could tell that everyone was waiting for her response but the overwhelming stares made her feel as if she were being put on trial and she needed to get out. NOW. She could almost envision the walls closing in on her and she tried to shoo the image away.

“Um, I think I need some time to myself please.” She murmured as she hurried to wipe her eyes before anyone could see. “Fauna you and the Cullens can explain everything to the Boys and to Bella, I just need to- excuse me.” She left in a hurry and refused to meet anyone’s gaze. 

Foregoing a jacket or keys, she made her way into the forest that seemed to call out to her with a comforting embrace. She didn’t know how long she walked for, but she knew it had to be quite far once she saw a familiar abandoned graveyard up ahead. It seemed as if she had stumbled on one of Fork’s rare hidden gems. She discovered this graveyard when she had first arrived with Caleb. He had hinted that there was more fun to be had in the small dismal town and proved himself right. Since then she found herself frequenting the grounds whenever she needed to clear her head.

She made her way to the large gothic mausoleum in the center and settled herself on the stone steps. The weight of the situation bore down on her shoulders and she crumpled with it. A sob broke from her chest and it was as if she opened the flood gates. 

‘It’s my fault. I killed her. I got my mother killed.’ She kept repeating it inside her head, secretly hoping that she was wrong. The harsh reality that her entire life had been fake made the sobs peak. She would never get to play hide and seek with Damon or hear her mother’s melodious voice carry through the kitchen on a warm summer day….all her best memories were false...how could she believe in anything anymore if she didn’t even know who she was?

She spent a long time laying down on those broken-down steps and after a while she began to sing softly a song she held so fondly from her childhood.  
‘Masquerade!Paper faces on parade . . .Masquerade!Hide your face,So the world willNever find you!’

Looking up at the bright shining moon, she smiled as the remembered her mother’s love for the song- well her adoptive mother. She always told her to go through every day as if it were a masquerade ball- make a statement and try to see beneath people’s masks. 

She was so lost in her ‘memories’ that she didn’t hear the soft footsteps nearing her way. A few moments later she heard the person settle beside her yet she refused to acknowledge them- she didn’t know where to begin.

“you know I have to admit, I thought everybody had forgotten about this place. I’m surprised that it’s still standing.” Carlisle’s honey sweet voice shocked her into bolting up from her position. 

He chuckled at her and moved to relax beside her. She gave him an odd look, “Ok, who put you up to finding me and how did you know to look for me here?”

Carlisle was silent for a moment before he spoke, “You may be surprised to learn that I volunteered and as for how I found you, well I just had to look for the one place in this town that practically screamed ‘Morticia Addams’.”

His teasing worked as it pulled a weak laugh from her. “Caleb totally squealed on my hiding spot, didn’t he?”

“Like an angry swine.” Carlisle winked and the two settled into comfortable silence. It wasn’t until minutes later that Carlisle broke it.

“I won’t pretend to have my son’s ability to read your emotions…but I can guess that you are in quite a bit of pain and I’d like to help if I can.”

She scoffed,” Carlisle, I just learned that I’m the reason my mother died and my father fled- I think I need more than therapy at this point.”

“Be that as it may, having someone to talk to is always a nice start.”  
Morticia sighed and looked away before responding, “What am I, Carlisle? I’m not human I’m a hybrid. A freak. How the hell am I supposed to act like I have my shit together when life keeps throwing this at me?! My entire life I felt like a freak in my own head and now I find out that I’m just as much a freak outside as in…How am I supposed to take that?”

“You are many things Morticia, but a freak is certainly not one of them.” Carlisle put a comforting arm over her shoulder and the dam broke once more. 

“I think I’m worse than that Carlisle. I…can feel the darkness inside of me with that power. I could feel it when I saved Bella from those guys- I wanted to kill them, and I felt happy to do it! What if I hurt someone I care about! What if its Ed-‘” She choked on a sob and turned to embrace Carlisle who softly petted her hair, trying to ease her sobs.

“As much as I pride myself on seeing the good in humanity, I am not too prideful to know that everybody has darkness inside them, even my lovely Esme,” Morticia had to chuckle at the idea of dear sweet Esme Cullen being anything else but kind to anyone.  
“It isn’t the fact that you have that darkness inside you, Morticia, it’s how you choose to deal with it…. I must admit that I myself have even had times where I wanted to give in to my own demons. Even today, I worry that I might slip and hurt someone innocent.” His voice tightened and quieted towards the end.

His revelation sent a shock through her. She always thought that the Cullen Patriarch’s control was somehow ingrained in his makeup and it never occurred to her that he may struggle with his control like Jasper or the others. Even though he had centuries of experience, he would never let himself become comfortable or careless. She admired him for that, and she could see why Edward held his father in such high regard.

Carlisle turned to her with warmth in his gaze and moved a lock of hair out of her face. “Darkness or not, I have no doubt that you Morticia Addams, have brought great joy and life, not only to my son, but to our entire family. You may not see things as they are right now, but give it time. I promise you aren’t alone in this.”

Morticia smiled and gave him a fierce hug, murmuring into his shoulder, “Damn you and your gentleman London upbringing. I swear there is no arguing with those puppy dog eyes.”

Carlisle laughed heartily and she felt the vibrations in her chest, “I’m sure I can do better, but thank you either way. Now, I believe people are beginning to miss us, especially a certain telepathic son of mine. Are you ready to face the masses, petal?”

The nickname shocked her, “Petal? That’s a new one.”

The Cullen patriarch smirked, “I seem to remember you bringing my attractiveness into question since you think I abandoned my native tongue, and I did make a promise after all.”

‘wow, he really remembered. Most men can’t remember what they had for breakfast.’

He held out his arm and she took it gently. As the two began their trek back to the house, she asked, “so….is there any way we can make the accent change permanent? Because I would die to see how the women of Forks reacted if you suddenly became British.” 

The only response she received was his roaring laughter that scared away some birds nesting high up in the trees.

‘Maybe things won’t be so horrible after all…maybe, just maybe I’ve finally found a place where I fit in.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the next chapter will contain Bella and Caleb's reaction to learning about where Morticia really comes from. How do you think Bella will react to having her 'soulmate' stolen?


	18. chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bella finally learns the truth about the books. Will she be angry that Morticia kept this from her or will she even care about Edward? That's not all though- someone is out looking for our dear goth princess...but who?

Authors note:

I am so sorry for the late late late update guys! Everything has been crazy between classes and the pandemic- I just couldn’t find the motivation to write, but I hope you enjoy this next chapter and thank you so much for your continued support on this story! Please keep commenting, I love to read them!

Edward’s pov:

He watched with a heavy heart as his love stumbled over her words, uncomfortable even as she made her exit from the room. He knew this was all a heavy burden to carry, but he so longed to help her with it- if only she’d let him.  
‘Why is she always so stubborn and independent?’  
He knew Morticia Addams was not like the ladies from his own time. If he had met her then, he surely would have proposed right then and there- as if Cupid himself sent one of his famous arrows. Where other girls he knew preferred to be the stereotypical and depend on a man, his love was much different. Morticia held herself with such poise and grace, yet in a time of crisis he saw the fierce warrior she could become.  
That’s why watching her now, so meek and timid…it made his undead heart hurt. Instinctively he took a step forward as if to follow her, but a quick look from Alice made him stop short.

‘Don’t chase after her…she needs this time to herself, besides…I think Carlisle can help.’ Alice’s bright voice in his head held her usual underlying mischievous tone he had learned not to question.  
But why Carlisle? What could he possibly do for her in a time like this? He felt the unnecessary jealousy build up inside him but it was quickly quelled with one glance from Jasper. He nodded his thanks and before he could voice his concern, Jacob surprisingly beat him to it.  
“Somebody needs to go after her! She’s in distress, she shouldn’t be running around the woods alone?!” The concern in the boy’s voice made a tingle of jealous ire run down his spine as he quickly ran through the wolf’s thoughts.

He saw visions of the two playing as children and confiding in one another- naturally, the boy developed a small crush but nothing more than childhood folly, thankfully. Still, the feelings he associated with her made Edward want to grab the nearest piece of Esme’s furniture and pulverize it.  
A growl emanated from his throat and brought the attention solely on him. Jacob turned his scowl towards the vampire and took a step forward as if to challenge him.  
‘this boy really has no idea who he is dealing with,’ Emmett’s thoughts admittedly inflated his ego slightly but a comment from Rosalie deflated it just as quickly.

“Instead of wasting time and energy on the inevitable pissing contest between those two, shouldn’t we be getting on with the rest of the story? We can give Morticia 15 minutes to herself at least. She’s a big girl, I think she’ll be fine without her body guards for that long.”  
Rosalie rolled her eyes as she finished and draped herself on the nearest chaise with ethereal grace.  
Her comment made Edward pause as he realized how…immature he was being. Starting a fight with another boy, just because he showed concern over Morticia? That wasn’t who he was…. If it could, his face would be burning with shame as he quickly moved away- settling himself closest to the windows and away from everybody else.  
Fauna stepped closer into the room and coughed slightly, “There’s no need to worry about Morticia, darlings. She’ll be fine. In fact, young Caleb here knows exactly where she’s heading and would gladly give up said location…..” She turned a withering gaze at the young teen who visibly cringed backward.  
“Are you trying to get me killed?... yeah, no thanks, I choose life!” Caleb cried dramatically as he threw himself back into Seth’s arms. Seth jokingly pushed Caleb behind himself and puffed out his chest to make himself look taller.  
The banter worked as everyone present, Rosalie included, let out a soft chuckle at the display. Although it appeared as if the Fae was not going to be giving up anytime soon because she still looked at Caleb expectantly.  
Caleb sighed and moved from behind Seth, “look, I was sworn to secrecy about her hiding spot, like took a blood oath and everything! So if I tell you…. then I’ve broken my word and dad says that you’re only as good as your word.”  
Edward silently commended the boy for his loyalty and integrity, even if it annoyed him slightly. He easily could have gotten the location from his thoughts, but he knew that would cause even more problems, so he refrained.  
Thankfully, Carlisle had a much better solution. “Perhaps there is a way we can get Caleb to reveal this mysterious place without damaging his credibility… what if,” he paused as he bent to grab some stationery off the unused coffee table, “you were to say…write it on a piece of paper and one of us was just curious enough to read said paper. That way you never ‘officially’ told anybody of its location?”  
The others stared at Carlisle in shock. Who knew that their resolved coven leader had such an affinity for loopholes? Edward hadn’t seen his creator this happy and carefree since he found Esme again.  
Carlisle gave his children an unimpressed look, “What? I do know how to get around rules every now and then, I guess I’ve been spending too much time with Emmett.” He chuckled as Esme lightly hit his chest in reprimand.  
The other Cullen children laughed as Emmett called out, “He’s not wrong. I am the sneakiest of all of us.”  
Jasper rolled his eyes, “You are as sneaky as a damn tornado, anybody could see you comin’ from a mile away!”  
The banter easily could have gone on forever with his family but thankfully Fauna decided to intervene.  
“Alright, I’m sure we can finish this riveting conversation later, but right now we have some history to discuss. Morticia entrusted me to tell her story and I think it’s time that everyone present learn of the entire truth- not just the bits and pieces some of you may have heard.”  
Bella looked confused, “Um, should I be here? I mean, I don’t see how this involves me..”  
“Finally, the first intelligent thing she’s said all day,” Rosalie grumbled under her breath and I saw a flash of resentment towards the tiny human girl. It wasn’t resentment towards her humanity as he would have expected, but he could see a worry for Morticia?.... Rosalie…was worried….for Morticia?

As if hearing his train of thoughts, Rosalie turned a scowl in his direction. ‘If this human causes problems for us as she did in those stupid books, or if she hurts Morticia….’ She didn’t have to finish her threat; the underlying meaning was there.  
Fauna turned to the Swan girl and nodded her head, “This impacts you as well, Bella. You are a part of this world now, even if you don’t realize it yet.” She shot a look at Paul behind Bella’s chair but decided not to comment.  
The brunette fae took a breath to settle herself before she started, “our story begins with a nation on the verge of war. My home, Valeria. We were so happy, everyone was singing and there was never a sullen day in my memory. Then everything changed when the cold ones attacked. The first time they attacked our people, they decimated the land and took the lives of many of my brothers and sisters. This angered King Stefan who decreed that any and all cold ones be imprisoned or worse. What he didn’t know was that his own daughter fell in love with a mysterious painter who had come into town on a passing fancy. His name was Vladimir Draconus and he fell in love with the crown princess Athenodor of Valeria.  
It was love at first sight for the two of them and soon they had plans to get engaged. A spy for her father gave him word of where his daughter was disappearing every night and he sent his guards to kill the creature who he believed to have bewitched Athenodora, but what he didn’t know was that I alerted Aurora of her father’s plan and helped her and Vladimir escape into the night. A few months later, in the middle of an escalating war, Athenodora and Vladimir welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world, Morticia Rose future Queen of Valeria.  
They both knew that if their baby girl had any chance of surviving then they had to send her away. I was Athenadora’s hand maiden at the time so I was entrusted with the secret and helped them perform the spell that would bring Morticia to a safe place. What none of us knew was that she was meant to be in this universe and find her soulmate,” Fauna paused to give Edward a knowing look before she turned back to Bella.  
“I know this may seem crazy, love. But I think you need to understand just how much Morticia plays into your life as well. You see she knew everything about you before she even came here. Your entire story was written in a novel written by a woman named Stephenie Meyer and it was called the ‘Twilight Saga.’ It told the story of a young woman named Bella Swan who came to live with her father in Forks and who falls in love with a vampire named Edward and then becomes in a love triangle with Jacob as well. This spans over four novels but has gained a massive fan following.”  
She paused slightly to gauge Bella’s reaction and the girl was quite frankly gob smacked. She turned her gaze to Edward and the wolf, Paul, let out a mixture of a whimper and a groan. He could tell from Paul’s thoughts that the boy had ‘imprinted’ on the Swan girl. He thought imprinting in animals couldn’t possibly be translate to humans but there was the rare occasion he was wrong.  
From Paul’s thoughts, he easily see how the imprint had completely taken over the boy’s mind. Paul seemingly was what one would call a ‘playboy’ but that line of thought ceased the moment he laid eyes on Bella. It was so entertaining that he was quite irritated to learn that he was still unable to read the Swan girl’s thoughts.  
Her eyes were easier to read at least. They held obvious confusion but whenever her eyes landed on his own, he could swear he saw an interest there, but it flickered as soon as her eyes shot to Paul’s. He hoped Fauna’s story wouldn’t lead the Swan girl to take an interest in him, He rather disliked the idea of hurting any lady’s feelings, especially one whom Morticia went to such long lengths to protect.  
Bella started everyone when she said, “but why did she save me tonight? If she already knew how things would play out she could’ve let me die and then you wouldn’t have anybody curious about what you are?”  
Once again Rosalie opened her mouth, more than likely to explain just how much she wanted that outcome, but one stern look from Esme made her reconsider.  
“Bella, dear. Even though Morticia knew what would happen last night, I’m sure she would never intentionally let anything happen to you…that’s not who she is,” Esme told the girl with a sincere voice but was rudely interrupted by Paul, “Yeah but she’ll steal another girl’s soulmate, oh no- she’s a totally nice person.”  
Edward could tell his anger wasn’t directed at Morticia but at him. He thought that Bella may still be interested in him and the thought nearly made him phase. But the idea that he would disrespect a woman who wasn’t here to defend herself made his nonexistent blood boil.  
“Enough!” Edward growled at Paul and caused everyone in the room to jump at the sheer force of it. “Morticia did not ‘steal’ me away. I knew from the moment Bella walked into our biology class that first day that we weren’t meant to be. Her blood doesn’t appeal to me at all, nothing like Morticia’s does.”  
The Swan girl looked slightly offended and Paul scoffed, “Oh, so you want to snack on your girlfriend that’s a great way to start a relationship!”  
Edward smirked and let a little of his teenage mischief twinkle in his eyes, “At least I didn’t imprint on her like a….dog, hmm Paul? Care to comment,” suffice to say Paul shut his mouth after that comment and Bella looked up at the Quileute boy in confusion.  
His father shot him a disapproving look but he ignored it, If Paul was going to question his relationship then he was going to receive the same. It was immature he knew- but he always acted that way when it came to Morticia.  
Before anything else could be said, Fauna jumped back into the conversation, “May I please continue?” When nobody else made a further comment, she continued, “Thank you. Now as you all know I am Morticia’s protector for as long as she’ll have me and I need you all to help me with my charge. This war is nowhere near over. Your Volturi is sure to get wind of her and if that happens…they will surely want to kill her.”  
Carlisle jumped in, his voice full of confusion, “What does the Volturi have to do with this? Surely Aro didn’t have anything to do with the massacre.”  
Fauna frowned before continuing, “Aro Volturi was the one who gave the order to attack the Valerians first, I remember seeing him in his full battle armor- smiling as he ripped my friends apart. So, yes Carlisle- I’m sure it was him. Your dear friend has such an obsession with collecting beings of power that he planned to enslave the entire population and when our king refused to crumble, he slaughtered countless innocents.”  
There was an uncomfortable silence that settled over the room as everyone took in what she had just said. “So, Morticia has to hide for the rest of her life?” Alice asked in a meek voice as she held Jasper’s hand- if her tear ducts were working he knew she would be sobbing.  
“not specifically hiding. Aro does have…others who can seek out those with a special ability but if Morticia keeps her abilities tapered then there shouldn’t be any cause for speculation from Aro.” Carlisle said thoughtfully as he wrung his hands in contemplation.  
The idea of his love having to taper anything about herself made him look at his father incredulously! He couldn’t be serious, could he?! Jasper shared his thoughts, “Carlisle! You can’t be asking that of her! She’s just found out who she is and you want her to suppress her natural instincts?”  
His father had the sense to look ashamed, “Yes I see how horrible that is of me to ask, but I fail to see any other options.”  
Esme put her hand on his arm, “Let us figure that out when the time comes, for now we need to worry about Morticia and her well-being. She seemed very upset when she ran off like that.”  
“Someone should go after her. Knowing Tisha she probably forgot to grab a coat and she always gets cold even in the summer heat.” Caleb smiled in remembrance and from his thoughts, Edward knew he was conflicted about hearing the truth behind his “cousin’s” past.  
Carlisle rose and stepped closer to Caleb, “Caleb is right, I think it’s time to gather our missing guest. I won’t be gone long, if you’ll excuse me.” Caleb slipped a small piece of paper into Carlisle’s hand just as they bumped shoulders and in a blink- Carlisle had disappeared.  
The others dissolved into mindless conversation, the wolves amongst themselves and the rest of his family the same. Caleb and Bella somehow maneuvered themselves together and began to converse.  
“Don’t you think this is like..kinda crazy? I mean your cousin is supposedly some weird hybrid vampire and yet she isn’t even really your cousin?” She asked as she shot worried glances around the room- as if she didn’t understand the concept of supernatural hearing.  
“You know, I honestly wasn’t that surprised. I mean yeah it sucks that we aren’t actually blood related but I’ve known Morticia my entire life and even if those memories were put in place by some fairy, I always knew she was different from everyone else- even as a kid.” His voice held much melancholy and nostalgia that Edward didn’t need to use his power to see that the boy was reliving his most precious memories.  
“Also, the fact that I’m dating a literal wolf makes everything else’s shock factor seem insignificant in comparison.” Caleb winked at the girl who blushed a deep crimson.  
“Um- y-yeah about that. You and Seth seem like…I don’t know, like kindred spirits. If soulmates were a picture, I’m sure you guys would be on a billboard somewhere. Why is that exactly? Is it a wolf thing or?...”  
Caleb chuckled and looked in the direction of his imprint, “You could say that it’s partially a wolf thing, but Seth and I have known each other for years. We basically grew up together, but thankfully we never saw each other as brothers. It wasn’t until recently we decided to give things a try and when I found out about imp-, um actually you know that is something I shouldn’t say anything about. Um it looks like Seth needs me over there, sorry!” The boy quickly ran off before he could blurt out anything else to the girl and Bella looked after him in confusion.  
From Edward’s view point he could see how Paul was clenching his muscles tightly as if physically forcing himself not to move towards Bella Swan. ‘That fucking kid nearly blew everything.’ His thoughts were much too easy to read as his mental guard was as flimsy as his temper. He wondered how the Swan girl would react to such a development, but that wasn’t his problem. Interestingly enough, Paul wasn’t the only one having issues with imprinting, Jacob was currently trying to get himself out of the doghouse it seemed with Fauna.  
“Can you please just listen to me?” Jacob pleaded as he followed Fauna around the kitchen. The brunette was currently pulling out multiple pans and dishes from Esme’s cabinets.  
“I can’t guarantee that I’ll listen to anything you have to say Jacob Black, I’m much too busy thinking about myself and not worrying about my charge- so it seems.” Her voice held much spite and Jacob visibly flinched at her tone.  
“I am so sorry, I didn’t mean it like that, honestly.” He tried to give her significant puppy dog eyes but Fauna refused to look his way.  
“that’s the thing with you human boys, you always seem to say the wrong things don’t you. You all can’t keep a level headed thought even if it killed you. Where I come from the men aren’t afraid to show vulnerability with the women they love or admire.” She finished her rant, mumbling to herself as she gathered ingredients for…brownies? Yes, brownies.  
“Well then I’m lucky that I’m not entirely human, then am I?” Jacob smirked, thinking he’d gotten a leg up in the argument.  
Fauna paused as she laid the eggs onto the counter next to the Cocoa powder. “No, you’re an oversized mutt, which is even worse in my opinion because now I’ll have to house train you if I want to keep you. Now leave me alone, I need to finish this so they’ll cool once Morticia arrives and I prefer my food without dog hair.” With that remark, she turned back to her cooking, leaving the boy gob smacked where he stood in the middle of the kitchen.  
Next to where Edward was standing, Rosalie began howling with laughter after hearing the brunette’s response. He had to admit, the tiny fae did have quite the fire in her- one that he doubted Jacob Black knew how to handle.  
The next few minutes went by fairly quickly and soon enough Alice was getting everyone’s attention by calling out, “They’ll be here in 3 minutes and 45 seconds. She even convinced Carlisle to use his native accent at work for the next few weeks as a social experiment!”  
Edward smiled at the thought and moved to greet his love at the door. The rest of the chatter behind him became nothing more than background noise as he heard his love’s melodious voice from the back yard.  
“You cannot be serious, Carlisle! You did not swim the English Chanel just to win a bet!”  
Carlisle’s laughter and the face of Morticia in his thoughts made Edward’s heart lurch. She looked so carefree and happy, it made him happy by association.  
As soon as they entered the room, Morticia’s laughter instantly stopped as she looked around the room. Her eyes immediately went to Bella Swan and Edward knew she was dreading the girl’s response. He moved to go to her side but she sent him a look that made him stop short. He tried not to take offense to it and his eyes traveled to the ground but he sharply looked up when he heard a thought- one he never thought he’d get a chance to enjoy.  
‘Please don’t be angry with me, Loverboy. I just don’t know if she’s pissed off and I’d rather not get into a cat fight tonight.’  
His eyes shot up to find Morticia’s but she was deep into a staring contest with Bella swan. The two continued to stare at one another for a few moments before Bella broke the silence.  
“…Did I really wear a long khaki skirt to meet the Cullens for the first time?” Her timid voice was overshadowed by Morticia’s relieved laughter.  
“Yes, yes you did and everybody thought it was horrendous when the books came out and they were still talking about it in my time.” Morticia fake shuddered at the thought and Alice nodded her agreement.  
Bella chuckled and gave the two girls a small smile, “Well, I guess I’m gonna need some guidance in the fashion department then because we can’t let that happen. I may not be fashion oriented, but I’m not opposed to some help…”  
Alice and Morticia looked at each other with knowing smiles and answered Bella with a resounding, “Yes, absolutely!”  
Bella and Morticia shared a chuckled and it seemed as if any bad blood had been expelled between them, his love sent him a beaming smile- which he returned.  
There was a moment of pure glee before Morticia clapped her hands and spun around the room, calling the attention of everyone present.  
“Well since we’ve established I am biologically a freak of nature, what’s to stop me from fully embracing this new-found identity?”  
Fauna chuckled at Morticia’s antics, “Morticia , dear. You are not a freak by any means, the rest of the world just hasn’t caught up to your creative vision yet.”  
Morticia rolled her eyes and scoffed, “If I were to really act like myself, this town would burn me at the stake.” It was as if a lightbulb went off above her head and she froze slightly. Morticia turned to the others and a Cheshire grin slowly spread out over her face.  
“I think it’s high time this small minded town got some….new inspiration,” She reached out to grab one of Fauna’s brownies off the table. “Besides, I am a hybrid- so why not have twice the fun?” Morticia took a bite out of the brownie as she spoke and moaned in gratification, “Damn these brownies are amazing! How did you know chocolate was my favorite?!”  
“Oh, dear that was your mother’s recipe from when she was pregnant, she practically ate chocolate on everything!!” Fauna chuckled as she watched the girl.  
Morticia’s mouth twisted into an alarming smirk- reminiscent of a cartoon villain and she chuckled darkly, “Oh Bella. You’ll just have to wait and see, but I can tell you this… I have a feeling a lot of people will be rushing for their holy water once they see me…”

The other Cullens chuckled as Morticia began formulating her plan. Tomorrow she would finally show the town of Forks just who Morticia Addams truly was- a fierce and unshaken woman who could handle anything they threw at her.

Morticia POV:

Sure her entire life was a carefully crafted ruse to protect her hidden identity…. that doesn’t mean a girl can’t look drop dead gorgeous as the rest of her life falls to ruin. If there was anything Morticia’s “adoptive” mother taught her it was- if you think the day will be dull, at least you can control how you look and approach it. In other words, plan every outfit like it may be your last and make every day count as if tomorrow would never come. 

Thinking of her other family made Morticia wonder what her birth parents were like. Would they be happy with who she grew up to be? What life had they planned for her had Aro not tried to destroy them?

Her thoughts were interrupted by one of the wolves muttering to Carlisle that they needed to head back to the reservation to begin their rounds. She looked up at the others while mindlessly pinching off another bite of the heavenly brownie and tried not to think of how many calories she was putting into her mouth. 

‘Don’t think of it Morticia. Just enjoy yourself for once and go for a run later.’ She knew her line of thought would get her into some trouble with Jasper- but a run did sound like a great idea at the moment, it would really clear her head. She knew most people would be having a panic attack right now- so judging by her own standards she was doing quite well. Again, there was always tomorrow for the shock to set in.

As the others said their menial goodbyes Seth and Caleb made their way over to her, hands entwined, and Caleb shyly began, “so uh. I know things might be totally awkward right now with all this…stuff. But I just want you to know, magic or not- dad and I are still your family and we’re here for you if you need us.” He smirked slightly before he continued, “and you didn’t hear this from me but dad is having some serious abandonment issues since you’ve been spending so much time at your boyfriends.” 

Morticia’s eyes widened as he finished with, “No joke I saw him sigh as he passed your bedroom door this morning.” With a wink and a wave, both him and Seth made their departure and left her to her thoughts.

‘oh god what was she going to tell Tony?! How could she explain this….again?’ it seemed as if every single scenario played out in her head, ranging anywhere from him locking her up in an asylum to Edward being shot on the front lawn….

Slowly she made her way to the kitchen and set the remainder of her brownie on a napkin. As she starred out the back window in thought, Jasper’s southern drawl made her jump slightly when he spoke, “I really hope you aren’t gonna waste that good brownie right there. We talked about this you know.”

Morticia turned and gave him a weak smile. “I know Jaz, but I’m not really in a brownie mood anymore I guess.”

The southern vampire came to stand beside her at the counter and gave her a worried look, “Is this about what Fauna said about your mother or is it because of your body dysmorphia. Both of which are completely normal- but as your therapist id like clarification, ma’am”

The way he emphasized ‘ma’am’ made her chuckle slightly before she sighed heavily, “would you believe me if I said it was neither.”  
Jasper’s silence was answer enough, “Yeah I don’t believe me either….I guess it’s a combination of both. My mom and the whole mental thing. A part of me wants to enjoy myself, but…”

“But you are wondering why you get to enjoy yourself when everybody else doesn’t. Morticia survivors guilt is very common in cases like this, even if you never met your mother- you feel responsible for what happened.”

Morticia scoffed and turned to grab a bottle of water out of the fridge. Slamming the door a little too roughly she let out a humorless chuckle. 

“Not only is this my fault Jasper, but had I not been born my mother might still be alive right now!!! How can I live happily knowing I am the reason she isn’t here? I never even knew her but yet….” She paused to take a sip of water and shook her head.

“Jasper I’m not sure if all the therapy in the world could fix me right now and I’m sure they would write books on me if they could,” her voice cracked as she felt tears pinching her eyes.

The blonde vampire moved to take her into an embrace and her breath caught. “Well isn’t it lucky we have an eternity to try, little sister? I know this isn’t easy for you and as cliché as it is we are here for you- literally day and night. You aren’t alone in this. I know you may think you have to have this all figured out in your head but its ok to not know what to do next, that’s why you have us.”

Morticia slowly hugged him back and succumbed to her tears. It felt good to finally just let everything go. Her entire world had fucking summersaulted and now she had no idea where to go next. 

The two stood like that for a bit until Jasper pulled back and gave her a gentle smile. “Now I’m gonna get my hide outta here before Edward comes in here and kicks my ass for makin’ you cry.” He reached up and wiped away a few of her tears, “now I think you need to call it a night” taking a look at the discarded brownie he continued, “don’t make me send some exhaustion your way. I better not hear of you goin on any runs tonight all over that tiny brownie. You need the sleep more.”

Morticia rolled her eyes and laughed, “I’ll be sure to be in bed by 10 dad, thanks.”

Jasper laughed along with her and made his way out the door, but not before calling out over his shoulder “I mean it, small fry- not even a brisk walk.”

She sat there for a minute, talking everything in. This was her life now. Jasper was her personal therapist, she was dating Edward Cullen, and her parents are mythical creatures.

It wasn’t long before she felt another presence enter the kitchen. Without turning around she called, “I wondered when you would come find me.”  
Edward chuckled and moved beside her, his hand immediately moving to the center of her back as if to center himself. “How many times do I have to tell you that I’ll always find you. No matter where you go.”

“I won’t even comment on how creepy that sounds.” She laughed as he pressed his icy lips to her temple. “Creepy but…still romantic somehow.” She murmured, looking into his eyes that burned a deep onyx.

“How long has it been since you hunted?” She asked as she reached her hand up to cup his jaw.

He breathed in deeply, “longer than I’d like but for some reason I can’t seem to drag myself away long enough. I worry if I leave you too long you’ll get into more trouble.”

She laughed as he ran his fingers mindlessly through her dark locks, “trouble or not, “ she said as she took her hand, “you need to feed…and Tony needs some bonding time with me. I have been neglecting him lately, and Caleb but he has Seth to keep him company.”

Edward looked as if he would object so she quickly cut him off with a kiss, “listen this is not up for debate, handsome. You need to hunt so tonight no hot and heavy with me. Instead you will spend some time with your family and I will with mine.”

“How can you expect me to catch any prey when I’m worried about you the entire time… being away from you keeps getting harder and harder.” He groaned and put his nose to her throat, nuzzling it slightly.

“Then you will just have to catch as many as you can so you can come find me the next morning. I promise if you finish before sunrise you can stay the night in my room, how is that? I’ll leave the window unlocked.” She smiled as he gave her complete puppy dog eyes and called over her shoulder, “hey Emmett. Make sure your brother gets enough to eat will you?!

She took a step back and drug him with her by his hand. “I need to go, handsome. Now stop pouting and give me a proper good by please.”

His arms quickly wound around her ,”no. Never goodbyes.”

She returned his embrace and gently traced designs into his shoulder. “Until later then,” she whispered as she placed one last kiss to his temple before moving away and towards the door. The others were already waiting there, trying to act as if they hadn’t been listening.

“Alright. I think this evening has been way too eventful so if you don’t mind I’d like to get some rest before the next bombshell decides to drop.” She turned back to Edward with a mock glare. “The next time I see you it better be with those pretty amber eyes of yours.” She sent him a wink before turning back to the others.

Emmett threw something her way and thankfully she caught it with ease. To her surprise, it was her keys. At her confused look he explained, “Seth brought Caleb here but Rosalie thought you might need to have your car checked so she went to get it for you.”

Morticia turned to the blonde vampiress with a raised brow,” was it the car needed checked of you really wanted to get your hands on it?”

Rosalie laughed, “What can I say? I’m a sucker for the early 1900 models.”

Morticia laughed and turned her keys over in her hands, looking at Fauna she smiled. “Look I’m sure this will all sink in tomorrow but I wanted to say thank you for all that you did for my mom.”

Fauna’s eyes got misty, “It was no bother, love. Athenodora was one of my best friends and getting to ensure her daughter’s safety is more than I could ask for.”

Call it the spur of the moment but Morticia quickly wrapped the older fae in a hug. The older fae was slightly startled but slowly relaxed into her embrace. They both pulled back and were equally flustered.

“Alright I need to head out of here before I get a craving to wear pink or worse- the way this day is going.” Alice looked way too excited at the prospect. Morticia decided to finally make her exit and made her way to the door as she threw one last wave over her shoulder. “See you all tomorrow if I don’t spontaneously combust before then!”

She knew that comment was eating Edward up inside but she couldn’t miss that opportunity.  
‘come on handsome, I’ve survived 20 years without you in my life, I think I can handle less than 24 hours.’

It felt good to be back behind the wheel of her own vehicle again, cruising down the streets of Forks as if everything was somewhat normal. 

But as we should know by now- nothing stays normal in Forks for very long. Oh how she wished for just one normal day…. But tell that to the creepy dude standing in the middle of the fucking road. 

Morticia quickly gasped and tried to swerve around them but too late. Whoever it was flipped up over the hood of her car and caused her to spin out of control, crashing head first into a a large tree on the side of the road.

Her head crashed into the steering wheel and pain immediately radiated along her skull. She tried to focus her eyes to see if the person she hit was hurt as well but her eyes were angrily swimming.

When she finally was able to focus her vision, she really wished she hadn’t. The figure lay prone on the asphalt, legs and limbs at different angles. Her headlights were perfectly into place that they shone right on the poor person- as if giving them a spotlight.

‘oh god I’ve killed them! I killed someone.’ She began to panic and tried to get her seatbelt unlatched but it was no use, something must have been locking it into place.

When she looked back up at the figure, she was horrified. It began to make jerky movements…as if it were putting itself back together.

“Holy shit.” She whispered as she continued to fight with her seatbelt. She needed to get out of here, NOW. Hell with the car, she was maximum five minutes from the nearest house- hopefully she could make it.

The figure by now had rose to its feet and turned towards her car. “Oh fuck fuck fuck. Please don’t” She whimpered as tears began to well up in her eyes. Why did this shit happen to her?! And now of all times?! Oh god and she was going to die a virgin…..son of a bitch. 

Her thoughts shifted to Edward, oh Edward. If she died he would go insane. Please don’t take me from him, not now- not when we just found each other. And Alice will be beside herself. 

The figure was almost at her car when she began to scream hysterically. “PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP ME! PLEASE ANYBODY.!!!!!!”

“nobody is coming princessa….” A deep voice called by her window. Her head whipped around and she was met with bright red eyes and blinding teeth. “W-who the fuck are you?!” He didn’t sound like a character she recognized and it was far too dark to make out any discernible features. 

The figure chuckled darkly. “I’m just the errand runner, princessa…. And I don’t think you need to guess what I’m supposed to be picking up…or rather who I should say…”  
Before she could say anything else, the figure put their gloved hand around her neck and pressed a cloth over her mouth. She tried as hard as she could to not breathe in but with the figure pressing on her throat, eventually she breathed in the chloroform and began to see black fade into her vision.

Her last coherent thought was that she hoped Edward was far away from here and safe with his family. ‘I love you, Edward.’ Then….darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...wow. What did you guys think of that cliffhanger? Who was the figure?


	19. chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Cullens realize that Morticia has been captured and we find out the identity/motive of her captor.... and there is a special appearance from someone we thought to be MIA???.......

previously on OUAD:  
disclaimer, the following chapter will contain graphic descriptions of violence and torture. Had it not been vital to the plot I would have skipped over this chapter- if this is not your cup of tea- I completely understand and will mark with an * when it is safe for you to continue reading  
The figure chuckled darkly. “I’m just the errand runner, princessa…. And I don’t think you need to guess what I’m supposed to be picking up…or rather who I should say…”  
Before she could say anything else, the figure put their gloved hand around her neck and pressed a cloth over her mouth. She tried as hard as she could to not breathe in but with the figure pressing on her throat, eventually she breathed in the chloroform and began to see black fade into her vision.

Her last coherent thought was that she hoped Edward was far away from here and safe with his family. ‘I love you, Edward.’ Then….darkness.

Morticia Pov:  
(skip here- graphic scenes ahead)  
Morticia groaned as she felt herself coming back into consciousness. She knew if she were to open her eyes she would want to hurl so she kept them closed tightly. Instead she focused on her surroundings. From what she could gather, the ground was hard like concrete and freezing cold. The air was musty as if it hadn’t been circulated for years, and she could hear birds and insects in the distance. 

‘great that means he has me secluded in an area that isn’t commonly traversed. Smart. It’ll make sending a signal that much more difficult.’ She thought to herself with a groan as she tried to move her body just enough to see how her restraints were. 

To her shock- she wasn’t bound at all. She risked the chance and opened her eyes to a dimly lit warehouse, bathed in candle light. 

Slowly she moved off the concrete floor and quickly searched for her captor, but found the place empty. 

‘what kind of kidnapper is this dude? Leaving your captive unrestrained and not blindfolded…. Something’s not right here.’

Morticia’s gut almost never steered her wrong and right now it was telling her to get the fuck out of this place as fast as she could. Her only problem- there were no windows in the damn place and the only door she could see was obviously a heavy metal door she had no way of moving by herself. 

She tried with all her might to raise herself to a standing position but fell flat as soon as she got the slightest footing. 

A dark chuckle startled her and she turned her head to see her captor seemingly appear out of the shadows.

She could easily see now that her captor was a man as he stalked towards her with glee in his eyes at her struggle, “awe, Is the dear little princessa having trouble?”   
The man was tall but slightly muscular, with dark brown hair and tattoos from what she could tell outside of his dark tee shirt and jeans. He seemed like your average psychopath. A real Norman Bates type. 

Morticia refused to give him any kind of reaction and instead of becoming angry- he was just bemused.

“hmmm, not much of a talker are you now, huh, your highness?” he gave her a mock bow before circling her form- much like a vulture would its prey, before he came to stand in front of her once more. 

He knelt to her level before grabbing her face roughly in his hand. Pulling her close he growled, “Don’t worry. By the time I’m finished with you, your vocal cords will be bloody and raw from all your screaming.” He roughly shoved her away and walked over to a table set up on the side of the wall. 

Morticia tried to get her legs to move, to do something! But nothing was working?! Why?...

“Oh don’t even try it. I’ve injected you with a cocktail of vervain and iron shavings. Its lethal to both sides of your…. Lineage. Not enough to kill you, although it was tempting… I just needed you to be more…compliant before I send you to my employer- but he said I could have my fun and here we are.” He called over his shoulder as he inspected some instrument on the table. 

Morticia turned her head to face him and mustered up all her courage to ask, “Why? Why am I so important to you? We’ve never even met.”

The man came to a stop in front of her and held a sharp blade in front of her face. Dragging the blade slowly across her jugular he whispered, “Because my duty is to the crown….and we can’t have a bastard hybrid like you ascending to the throne. King’s orders querida…” 

Morticia’s eyes stung as she met his cheerful stare and noticed a slight violet shimmer to his eyes…he wasn’t human.

With a shuddering breath, she asked, “And what exactly were your orders?  
He gave her a chilling smile that made her stomach twist and drop as he spoke, “To wipe you from the family tree… although he didn’t say I couldn’t have any fun first.”

Before she could get another breath in the man had shoved another cloth into her face and then….darkness once more.   
*Edward Pov:

Sometimes I genuinely hate my telepathic ability. Not only did it ensure no privacy within my family, but it meant an eternity of Emmett and Jasper teasing , me mentally about my recent love life.

‘Eddie’s gonna get LAID’ Emmett roared with laughter as he watched me staring out after Morticia’s leaving vehicle. 

‘Damn Morticia has got him pussy whipped and she ain’t even givin him any…that’s love right there.’ Jasper teased as he clasped me on the back, jarring me from their thoughts.

“You guys are hilarious- truly.” I groaned and Carlisle gave me a knowing look. He knew I wanted more than anything to leave and rush to meet Morticia at her home. To breathe in her warm scent to remind myself she was there. Being a part from her made me ache in pain to be near her again. 

Sometimes it made me wonder if she felt the same things too. She was half vampire after all. The thought of her adorable tiny fangs made his heart warm. Her smile mixed with her loving gaze made him weak in the knees every time she glanced his way. If he were human, he was certain he would be a stuttering mess- much like that buffoon Michael Newton.

He was jarred from his thought by Fauna’s panicked shriek of “Oh god no!” Everyone rushed to see the brunette woman clutching her mouth in horror before she began pacing rapidly, muttering to herself so fast the only thing he was able to catch was “Morticia…danger…”

“What is wrong with Morticia?” He demanded as he grabbed Fauna’s arm to stop her pacing. 

She gave him a fearful glance and her eyes filled with tears as she spoke. “I put a protective spell around her to guard her from those of our kind who would wish to do her harm…I just felt the wards break…meaning that she’s in danger.. and not from a human predator.”

Edward’s heart dropped at her words and the others immediately began to chime in with their worry. 

“If someone has done her harm and they are like you, how can we hope to find her?” Esme asked in a shaky voice and gripped Carlisle’s arm tightly. The Cullen patriarch tried to calm his wife as best he could but Edward knew he was thinking the worst for Morticia’s safety as well. 

Fauna took a shaky breath and took a few steps backward as she spoke, running her fingers through her hair. “ I can try to track her with a locating spell. I linked myself to her when I sent her to this place so hopefully the connection is still strong. If that doesn’t work… I’m not sure what to try.”

Alice was beside herself and Edward knew it was because she hadn’t seen this happening. Why was it always when Morticia was in danger that it somehow skips Alice’s vision?? Edward shook his head. It didn’t matter why. The only thing that mattered was that his love was in danger. All he wanted to do right now was to run into the forest and track her as best he could. 

Fauna seemed to know what he was planning as she quickly moved in front of him, blocking his path.

“Listen here, telepath. You may think you know everything because of your gifts but let me be clear. What we are dealing with is not of your world. It is not some human you can threaten into wetting their pants at the sight of you. I have a feeling we are dealing with one of Kind Stephen’s royal trackers. They are trained to capture their target and use unimaginable torture on their targets to get the information they need.” Her chilling voice sent a pang of hurt through him and made him growl at the thought of someone putting their hands on Morticia.

“What does he want with her?!” He growled as he tried to calm his breathing- unnecessary for him but it did distract him long enough for him to focus on Fauna’s next words.

“my guess is that Stephen sent one of his trackers out to find Morticia since he found that she survived. The king is quite an elitist and I can’t imagine he would take too kindly to the idea Morticia could come back to Valeria and stake her claim to the crown. She may be his biological granddaughter- but that man would do anything to keep the bloodlines “pure” as he calls it. I thought he wouldn’t put forth the effort as the Volturi most certainly would have her on their radar- but even he isn’t that patient.” She let out a shuddering breath and then moved to the coffee table in the center of the room.

“I need a map of Washington as well as surrounding states. Stephen’s men are smart and they may do one of two things- take her far away or keep her close by to confuse us. I need to cover all my bases and a simple locator spell may be able to do the trick.”

Jasper quickly flashed up to Carlisle’s study and came back with the largest map they had. Fauna instructed him to lay it long ways on the coffee table and gathered some ingredients from her bag. Strategically she placed candles in the form of a pentagram around the center of the map and connected them in a circle with what smelled like a type of herb.

Clearing her throat lightly before concentrating her gaze on the candles and muttering, “Incendo,” making the candles spark up bright flames. With a nod to herself she took a dagger from her bag and placed it against her palm. Cautiously she glanced around the room, “If anyone wishes to leave I understand, this will get quite bloody.”

No one moved. They were too worried about what was happening to their dear Morticia to care about the scent of the brunette’s blood. 

With a nod, Fauna sliced her palm and let her blood spill onto the map in a sporadic pattern, then she began muttering, “Ostende mihi eam. me visus videre eam. Da mihi partem.” 

After a few repetitions the blood began to bubble on the map, rising into the air before mixing and igniting into a bright green flame. And if that wasn’t shocking enough, the flame began to grow until they began to see pictures within it. 

Everyone looked on as Morticia’s beaten face began to form in the flame. She seemed to be hung from chains, stripes to her underclothes in what looked like a wearhouse. Esme let out a horrified cry and Rosalie let out a dry sob. His love’s face was blossoming with black and purple bruises, and her features were nearly unrecognizable under the caked blood from deep cuts to her cheekbones.

His father took a shuddering breath and ran his hand through his hair. ‘The trauma just looks extensive, I can’t imagine the internal bruising or worse.’ The thought made Edward sick, and it only worsened when another figure began to speak in the background.  
(Skip this part- graphic scenes)  
“Awe have I finally broken you, little hybrid? I thought you were much stronger, with your vampire genes and all….I guess they were right when they called your mother a trollop for wasting her time spreading her legs for that filth…oh, well. We can correct her mistake can’t we? And if not…well there’s always hope for breeding it out of the family…..I volunteer. I guarantee I could please you much more than your pathetic vampire boy you’ve settled yourself with…..just like your mother I guess.”

Rosalie growled at the implication and Edward basically pulverized the back of the couch in his grip. That….thing thought he could touch his Morticia and get away with it? Oh, he would gladly let his monster roam free with him and he could see his sister coming to the same idea. It would be fun to see the bastard squirm.

Morticia in the flame opened her eyes and spat at the man before her, “I wouldn’t let you touch me if you actually knew what to use with that microscopic thing you call a dick!” 

The man wiped his face in anger before backhanding Morticia across the face and stalking off from view. They watched Morticia’s face morph into one of fear as the man’s footsteps could be heard coming back.

“Let’s see how smart you are once we take care of those pesky wings. I bet they aren’t even fully formed yet…”

Morticia jerked and tried to get away as he brought a red-hot poker near her face.   
“Pure Iron. Didn’t even need to heat it really, it’ll easily burn right through your pretty pale skin but I wanted to make extra sure you could feel it..”

The man chuckled with glee as Morticia tried to get away from him. The others watched in dread and horror as the man shoved the poker into the skin of Morticia’s back between her shoulder blades.   
Morticia let out a blood curdling scream and tears streamed down her face as her body contorted from the pain. 

*Fauna’s connection broke and silent sobs wracked her body as the vision cleared. She fell to the floor and clutched her arms around herself as if to keep herself together. Everyone else was silent as they each individually processed what they saw. 

‘dear god.’ Carlisle was sending her silent prayers. Esme was beside herself with grief, ‘who could do something so awful to her? And why her?’ 

Rosalie’s thoughts were by far the bloodiest, second to that was Jasper’s. Both were planning unimaginable retribution on this ‘Angelus’ fellow. 

Alice was nearing a mental breakdown as she couldn’t grasp how she couldn’t see something like this happening to someone she viewed as a sister, it made her feel worthless with her power. 

Edward sent his sister a knowing look. None of this was her fault. Her power was not all knowing and she had gotten too in the habit of thinking herself invincible in her abilities. 

‘I’m so sorry Edward. I should have looked harder- tried harder to see any danger to this family.’

Rather than respond to her verbally he just gave her a sad look before turning his attention back to Fauna. The tiny fae was nearly caving in on herself as she shook with her sobs.

“What can we do?” Edward asked gravely as he restrained himself again from demolishing the entire living room in his anger.

Fauna took a deep breath and moved to settle herself on the couch.   
“I’ve already exerted enough of a magical strain trying to see where she was. If I exert any more I could alert others to my location and make things even worse. I’m afraid we will have to find her the old-fashioned way.”

Jasper chimed in with his quick wit, “And how exactly are we supposed to track a known tracker? One who clearly knows she’s connected with us!” His voice was held tight, indicating his resigned anger.

The others were quiet for a long time before a new voice called out from the front door. “ you call in someone who has faced Angelus head on and can train you on his signature moves.”

They turned to see a pale man with longer raven black hair and black sunglasses standing in the door frame. Everyone was confused at the newcomer’s presence….all except Fauna who gasped when she saw him.  
“it can’t be…..”

‘ok why the fuck is he wearing sunglasses at night?”

Emmett gave her a confused look before turning to their guest, “Who the fuck are you?”

The man gave a chuckle before shedding his coat and throwing it across his arm. When he next removed his sunglasses, Esme gasped. His eyes were nearly the same violet as Morticias, but a brighter, more fuchsia color. The man’s mannerisms exuded power and elegance, it clearly showed the man was of a wealthy upbringing. Also, the man clearly lacked a heartbeat- so obviously, he wasn’t human.

He smiled as he spoke and flashed gleaming white fangs identical to Morticia’s.   
‘so he is a vampire, interesting.’ Edward thought to himself.

“Oh I am quite sure Fauna has already mentioned me, but I guess it is polite to clarify. Pardon me, my name is Vladimir Draconus and I’m here for my daughter- Morticia.”

Fauna stood up and glared at the man with a withering gaze, “Vladimir Draconus has been missing for years…why now have you chose to show your cowardly face?!”

The man, Vladimir looked ashamed, “Believe me Fauna, I fought my hardest to keep my family together- but I knew the best thing for my daughter was to leave her in your care. I wanted to drive a stake through my heart when Athenodora asked me to leave her behind but…I made a promise, and I never break a promise.”

Fauna crossed her arms over her chest and scoffed, “Well you’ve done a bang up job haven’t you? Morticia’s been kidnapped by your arch-nemesis and we have no bleeding idea how to find her?! So what do you suggest?!”

Vladimir took a turn around the room, glancing up at the moon through the window as he spoke, “you tried the location spell using your protection bond with her. I assume it only partially worked and allowed you to see her in real time, but not send a message or get a location?”

Fauna gritted her teeth and chose not to reply. Vladimir sighed and moved over to the piano, silently humming to himself as he ran a pale hand over the ivory keys. A ring glistened on his finger and drew Edward’s attention. Why would a man so ready for a fight and on the run, keep a priceless heirloom like that on his finger?

“it keeps me from burning in the sunlight. In case you were wondering.” Vladimir said without looking up at Edward.   
Edward gave the man a confused look and Vladimir finally turned to look up at him.   
“I’ve lived on this earth for many years, and it doesn’t take much to notice someone’s interest- especially in this ring.” 

He held up his hand to the others and they watched as the blood red gem glistened in the moonlight.

“We can kindly get the pleasantries out of the way I think now. You all know I’m a vampire, I know you are a different kind of vampire. That’s the thick of it. What you don’t know is that all those ‘myths’ you laugh at, well they originated from some truths about my kind.”

‘Ah, and here I thought it was all from fiction… perhaps..’ Carlisle began to muse. 

“So let me guess, you sleep in a coffin and have an aversion to crosses, holy water or wooden stakes?” Emmett chuckled as he sized the man up.

Vladimir chuckled and sullenly looked off into the distance, mindlessly twirling the ring around his finger.

“A coffin, no. I have grown fond of modern mattresses. They work out the kinks an eternity can cause to a spine. As for wooden crosses and Holy water. I have lost faith in the church ages ago when I prayed for my love and daughter to be safe, only to see her father order them both to be executed before my eyes. I lost all faith in humanity or god at that moment. So, to answer your question crosses and Holy water do nothing but remind me of dark times in my life. Wooden stakes- now those can be deadly if aimed properly.”

‘Woah, heavy dude.’ Emmett thought as he took in the man’s words. The others didn’t know how to respond. Thankfully he continued in his explanation.

“Sunlight, which I assume was your next point is deadly like an instant flame, but with my ring I’m protected. A witch I knew back in my day spelled it for me so that I could go about unnoticed in our town. I chose not to be a monster like my creator planned so she granted me mercy.”

Carlisle’s thoughts warmed with empathy and Edward knew the two of them would soon become kindred spirits. 

Esme took a step forward and asked, “we heard what happened to your wife…I am so sorry. Losing someone you love is unimaginable, but giving up our child….” She placed her hand on top of his and for a moment Edward feared for his Mother’s safety. Her compassion for a stranger made him nervous to say the least.

But Vladimir simply put his hand other hand over top of hers and smiled a grim smile. “I thank you ma’am but she was not my wife, not yet. With everything happening we never got around to it, and then Morticia was born. That was the happiest day of my life…seeing the two of them. If only for one moment I had everything I could ever want. I had lived countless lifetimes….but never truly lived.” 

He looked to the others before moving to the center of the room, meeting their stares head on. “I did not come all this way to lose her again. I may have lost her mother- but I will not lose my daughter. If we have to track Angelus to the ends of the earth we will. Fauna didn’t have enough of a connection to my daughter to get a location but I do. My blood flows in her veins and I can reach out to her vampire side, even if it’d been dormant.”

“dormant?” Rosalie asked as Vladimir began moving furniture to clear out the living room floor. 

“My daughter is a hybrid. Her entire life her fae side and vampire side have been fighting for dominion over her. Fauna’s spell may have quelled her senses and powers, but that inner battle never dulls completely. Fauna wasn’t strong enough to tap into the fae side, so now we have to result to the vampire side. Especially since she’s in pain she’ll be vulnerable and I’ll be able to tap into that and hopefully get her location.”

Rosalie looked slightly ill as she moved to help him with the furniture and the others respectively helped their part. 

Edward meanwhile, didn’t know what to think of this. His love’s father just materialized out of thin air and now they had to do another ritual to hopefully find her. Please god not another vision like before. Another one of those would kill him. 

When they had the same set up as before, the Cullens stood back and let the other two begin their work.

Vladimir began to remove his shirt and Fauna began sharpening the same dagger.

“Do you really have to do that, dear? We know you aren’t that sadistic as to make this hurt more, are you.” The cheek in his voice was evident.

Fauna scoffed, “If only Athenodora were here, she could keep your arse in line.”  
Vladimir smirked as he gave her his palm to begin carving some kind of runes. As she moved to his chest she began to mutter the same latin phrases. The candles around them sparked to life and burned brightly. The runes on his chest began to glow bright red and seemed to burn into Vladimir’s skin- although the man showed no pain outward. He merely grimaced and nodded for Fauna to continue.

Blood droplets began to rise from his runes and mixed in mid-air. They traveled to the map and spread out across the state of Washington before moving to a secluded warehouse district in Port Angeles.

Fauna’s eyes shot open and she stopped chanting as the candles blew out and Vladimir fell to the floor. Her eyes were bloodshot and a drop of blood began to drip from her nose.

“I hope you know what you’re doing with this…. If he comes after her or worse….” Fauna trailed off as she went to look at the map, dabbing her nose with a tissue. “I said I couldn’t do another one of these in case he found us and you just had to do a blood ritual- the strongest of them all!”

Vladimir pulled himself off the floor with difficulty and growled, “As if I would let him get near her! You think I didn’t cloak myself when I fled Valeria! Stephen can’t find me with even the best tracker.”

Fauna just shook her head as she took a picture of the map with her cell phone, “It wasn’t Stephen I was referring to, Vlad…. I was talking about Aro Volturi. The man who nearly destroyed my home because he caught wind of some ‘very powerful beings.’ I hope you have a plan for him.” She shoved past him and called hastily to everyone as she left, “I need some time alone to myself before we journey to find Morticia. I’m sure Vlad will fill you in on any important details.” 

Vladimir paused for a moment before addressing them, “leave Aro Volturi to me, please. I have been waiting ages to wipe that smug smile off his face.”

Carlisle’s face pulled into a worried frown and Edward knew he was worried about how the Volturi would retaliate against them.

“I’m not really sure you should be going against him. He has an army-“ Carlisle started but Vladimir scoffed, “Honestly Carlisle? His army, don’t make me laugh. It’s a sorry excuse for servitude is what it is. They stand no match against those fighting for an actual cause as opposed to following blindly. Why do you defend him after he relentlessly has tried to steal your children from you? Alice… Edward? They can only resist for so long before he forces their hand by annihilating the rest of you….and in their grief he will steal them away.”

Everyone was shocked to hear that he knew about Alice and Edward’s appeal to the Volturi. Esme turned to him with confusion, “How do you know about us exactly? And how did you know Aro has an interest in Alice and Edward?”

Vladimir smiled, “Ma’am, I’ve been gathering information on your family since I decided to come find my daughter. I know all about your vegetarian lifestyle- kudos by the way, I haven’t been able to curb bagged blood for a few years but I can see the appeal to an elk now and then. I know all about your ‘gifts’ as you call them. Alice with her visions, Jasper and his emotional manipulation….and Edward, with his unique gift of telepathy…and stealing teenage girls hearts or so I hear.”

Edward visibly stiffened as Vladimir turned his now cold gaze towards him. He really dreaded having this conversation without Morticia present. He knew he could woo Tony over to his side, but Tony was human!

‘so should he grovel now or wait until Morticia can watch?’ Rosalie mused, ever the supportive sister.  
‘ouch, the dad threat already and Morticia isn’t here to save him from it. Good luck bro. Hopefully he doesn’t castrate you so you can still please Morticia and not die a virgin!’ Ever the classiest, Emmett.

“Sir- I-,” Edward started but Vladimir held up his hand to silence him. The dark haired vampire threw his shirt on and gave Edward a bemused glance, “ let’s finish that conversation after I have my daughter back in my arms.” Vladimir moved to stand in front of him and whispered “Although, I should warn you Edward…. Telepath or not, I am much, much older than you boy and if you cross me or her…. There is no place on Earth you could escape me.” 

With that he smiled sarcastically, patted Edward’s shoulder and walked calmly to the front door. As he turned the latch he looked back at the others with a serious look, “let’s go get my daughter back. Grab Fauna. We leave in 5 minutes.” And with a tip of his head the charismatic vampire disappeared into the night.

The Cullens looked at each other in astonishment, wondering just what the hell had happened in the last hour. None was more stunned than Edward, however. Not only did he have to worry for his love’s safety from that psycho- but now his own from her mysterious father! 

He barely got Morticia to fall for him…. how the hell was he supposed to get her dad to approve of him? Oh, he really hoped he didn’t know about ‘the Twilight Saga.’ Since when did his life have such emotional whiplash?

There was only one thing he cared about in that moment. Morticia. Once she was safe, Vladimir could do anything he wanted to him. As long as she was happy and alive. Edward knew once she was in his arms again, then he could truly break down. But he had to be strong for her

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! So I had originally planned to have more Morticia in this chapter but I thought seeing the Cullen's reactions to Vlad was just too much fun to write. The next chapter will focus on Morticia and Angelus so please be warned it will be graphic but I will keep the notations when it is safe to read again! I hope you are enjoying the story so far!


	20. chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fauna learns some interesting information from Angelus and the Cullens plan a rescue mission

Morticia Pov:

Morticia groaned slightly as she began to come to from her last state of unconsciousness. Her body felt as if it had been hit by multiple 18 wheeler trucks.

‘what the fuck has that bastard done to me?’  
She opened her eyes slowly and flinched at the blood dripping down the side of her face. She tried to wipe it away but found her hand shackled to the ceiling above her. She looked around, hoping her captor wasn’t around so she could plan her escape. 

She was not so lucky. As she began to test her shackles, an amused chuckle came from the corner of the room.

“Awe, how cute. You think you can break out of Iron chains….I’m sorry to burst your bubble, Princessa but that’s not possible.”

Morticia quickly turned her head to meet her captor and with a groan she stopped struggling.  
“Look. If you are going to be one of those sadist fuckers who talks their victim’s to death, can you just give it up?!” Her voice was raspy and her throat felt like it was being punctured with a knife with every word.

Her plan at the moment was to keep him talking long enough for her to find a way out of this. He seemed like the type to want to monologue his entire evil plan before he killed her.

Thankfully her suspicion of her captor being a true narcissist was correct. Her comment clearly agitated him and he furiously began to pace in front of her. 

“You little Brat. You don’t get it, do you? You aren’t getting out of this alive, princessa! So be as scrappy as you want because when I’m done here, you will be nothing but a memory to everyone…..just as King Stephen requested…”

Morticia feared he may close back up again and pushed for more information, “King Stephen, You mean my grandfather? He sent you to attack me? Why would he do that? It’s not as if I would ever want to be on some throne in a country I know nothing about. Who even are you, anyway….Gramps wouldn’t just send anyone to come find me, I assume. You must be pretty important….” 

Mentally she was crossing her fingers that he took the bait and quietly began to use her own blood to try to slip her hand out of her cuffs. She had to hold in a scream when the metal began to burn the skin as it pressed against the sides.

“Well, it couldn’t hurt if you knew, now could it. You’ll be dead within the hour. I am known as Angelus, or the “Angel of Death” in Valeria and I am the King’s right-hand man so to speak. I handle most of the business he himself deems, unsatisfactory to him. That includes trimming some branches off the family tree. As for why you, Morticia Rosalinda….. it is because you are a threat. I know that little bitch Fauna was trying to train you, so that you may rise up to overthrow my king. I couldn’t have that happen…”

To be perfectly honest, Morticia was only half paying attention at this point. She nearly had her right wrist out of her shackles and was trying to figure out her next move when Angelus’ next words made her stop cold.

“Although, I have to admit- I do have a bit of a personal vendetta against you, particularly with the fact that you were even born. You see, your mother- before she began whoring herself out to your leech of a father- was my betrothed some years ago. When I found out what she’d done I knew it was me who should be the one to take you out so I requested the job from my King and he so graciously accepted….even with my plans for your mother…”

His silky smooth voice was like an ice pick in Morticia’s ear and she growled out her response so hard she thought she might actually cough up blood. 

“My mother is dead you son of a bitch, and thank fuck she never married you, asshole because that would truly be slumming it!”

Angelus grabbed her chin in a vice grip and leaned in dangerously close. His teeth were gleaming white in the darkness as he grinned. She could feel his breath on her face as he spoke.

“Now who told you that, Fauna? How would she know- she ran away like a coward to save the bastard child while her Lady lay dying…..dying but not dead yet.”

Morticia tried not to react to his words. ‘Could her mother still be alive?’ She didn’t allow herself the time to think on the possibility. She needed to get more information out of him before it was too late. 

“What the hell are you talking about?” She asked in a weak voice that sounded foreign to her own ears.

Angelus pulled back slightly, “Stupid girl. You mother was one of the strongest Fae in her bloodline, did you really think something so trivial as a protection spell could defeat her? No, she knew exactly what she was doing. As soon as I arrived on the scene I could sense her magic in the air. She did more than just a protection spell, she cloaked herself….and then disappeared into the night…”

‘What the fucking hell…’

Angelus stepped back and gave her another sinister grin, “And wait until word gets to her about what I’ve done to her precious ‘daughter’... It’ll break her heart, right before I rip it from her chest and stomp on it, just like she did to me all those years ago!”  
‘Ah so that’s what his problem is….poor prick can’t handle rejection.’

Morticia scoffed and then let out a low laugh, “So that’s what this is all about. You’ve concocted this revenge fantasy to get back at my mom because she didn’t want anything to do with your sorry ass.”

Angelus’ eyes flashed a deep maroon and one of his hands shot out to press against her throat. With his other hand he released her from her cuffs with one swift tug to the chains. Instead of letting her fall to the floor he held her suspended in the air by her throat. 

She could slowly feel the lack of oxygen and the panic creep in but she refused to show him any more weakness. 

“Not so haughty now are you…You seem to have forgotten who has control of this situation little one. There is no happy ending for you I’m afraid. I guess your little vampire boyfriend will have to visit his friends in Italy to get over his grief….I wonder how his family will take your demise? Perhaps their empath can help them with that… emotions are so easily changed, I figure they’ll forget you even existed in a few years.”

His words made tears well up in her eyes and her heart hurt at the thought of her beloved Edward cradling her corpse and looking distraught. She knew he would immediately think of suicide, but that would kill Esme- she couldn’t lose another child- and Carlisle would be beside himself if his first turned son decided to end himself….Edward….no.

The black spots began to swirl in her vision as Angelus’s grip tightened around her throat. In the back of her mind she wondered if this might be how her story ended. With her body badly beaten, thrown on a cold floor for her love to find as her captor flew away into the night to find her birth mother.

How many times before this had she contemplated what life would be like had she not been in it. She was not a religious person but the idea of Heaven and Hell did intrigue her. Would her heaven now be her with Edward for eternity, living their lives in tandem with the other Cullens and having very kinky vampire sex, or would it just be oblivion. She scoffed at herself mentally, she didn’t deserve heaven. What had she done to deserve eternal happiness? She ruined a perfect Romeo and Juliet loves story for the ages with her presence alone….Now her Edward was going to be all alone again. 

Her heart broke for her love. He deserved to be happy. Maybe he would move on…possibly with that Tanya girl she had read so much about…. People do strange things in their grief I’ve heard…

As the darkness became overwhelming, she felt herself slipping away but before that she managed to make her lips form the words “Edward I love you,”one last time.

Just as she accepted her death, there was a crash from the ceiling of the building. Her senses were not up to par at the moment, but she was sure she could hear someone shouting her name….It couldn’t be.

The hand around her throat loosened and she took a deep shuddering breath. Her eyes flew open and scanned the room. Her family had come.

Edward and Carlisle were in a defensive crouch, ready to pounce at Angelus as the others had meticulously placed themselves around the other possible escape routes in the room. There was another man standing beside Carlisle and Edward. It was someone she had never seen before but seemed oddly familiar to her.

Angelus took no time in pinning her to his chest and using her as a human shield. “You’re too late Vladimir.” He was speaking to the mystery man, who apparently was named Vladimir – good to know. 

Vladimir growled and took a few steps forward before he spoke, “Let her go Angelus! Your issue is with me, not her!”

Angelus chuckled darkly and moved some of Morticia’s hair away from her face in a mock loving gesture. “Oh, but we were having such fun before you lot showed up. Isn’t that right princessa?” Morticia tried to move her head away but she was too weak. She tried to focus her gaze to Edward and her heart broke at seeing him so upset. He looked like he was in immense pain at seeing her like this.

‘I must look terrible. Great, the first time he sees me in my underwear I look like I went five rounds with Mike Tyson…also this is not the sexiest set I own, goddamn laundry day.’

Angelus continued as he tightened his hold on her, “besides I think she is plenty involved in this, Vlad. If I hurt her, I hurt you and Athena…that’s a win win in my book. Besides King Stephen wants the little bastard wiped from his lineage, and I plan to make that happen.”

Vladimir shook his head with a sorrowful sigh and sank to his knees, “I will give myself up, no tricks. Just let her go, please. She’s my daughter, Angelus. Have mercy please.” 

Morticia’s head sprung up and she looked at the man with a confused gaze. ‘Father? What. I couldn’t have heard that right. No fucking way.’

Angelus paused for a moment as if contemplating it then let out a loud laugh making Morticia jump in shock. “You know….there’s just no fun with you giving yourself up like that. So….I think I’ll just enjoy watching you cry over your spawn’s corpse.” 

In an act of either bravery or stupidity, Morticia bit Angelus’s arm in panic. She could taste his metallic blood filling her mouth. ‘oops I forgot about the new fangs.’ He did give a startled yell but her bite was not enough for him to release his hold on her. He moved his hands to the sides of her head and before anyone could react….he snapped her neck.

She could hear the loud crack of the vertebrae in her neck in her ears and then there was nothing but black.

Edward’s Pov- a few minutes before

My family and I were quickly approaching my love’s location. It was like my heart was guiding me to her, as silly as that sounded. The closer we got the heavier my heart became. It was as if being without Morticia made my heart hollow and cold. All I could think about was wanting her back in my arms again. I know it sounds ridiculous and boarder-line toxic to say but I don’t think I’m going to be able to let her out of my site again after this. I could barely restrain myself after the wolf fiasco….maybe I should- not it’s too soon. 

The thought did slip into my mind though. The vision Alice saw those weeks ago, of me and my love sitting in a graveyard and myself getting ready to propose to the love of my life. Oh, how I longed for her to say yes. If she had I guarantee I wouldn’t be able to wait until the wedding, to have her be called Mrs. Edward Cullen. 

Of course, it’s insane to think about at the present time, but a man could dream, couldn’t he? Besides, knowing a woman like Morticia- how was he even sure she wanted to get married this soon. Yes, she had mentioned marriage before- but that had been when their lives had been less chaotic than they were right now. But what if this was their life now- constantly chasing after one another to save the other from danger? He didn’t know how his undead nerves could handle much more. If only Alice could see more of Morticia in her visions, that would make their lives a hell of a lot easier. So why was she able to see that vision of his proposal? Odd…

He didn’t have any more time to dwell on things as Carlisle quickly swerved his car into an abandoned parking lot down the street from the warehouse that Edward assumed his love was being held. He had to stop his thoughts before they made him sick- even for a vampire. He felt a wave of calm and steadiness settle over him and gave Jasper a thoughtful nod in the rearview mirror.

‘Don’t worry, brother, we’ll find her and bring her home…and then you can act on all that repressed sexual tension you’ve got going on.’ 

Classic Jasper, just when you think he’s going to stop at the sincere part…well, he guessed that was the price to pay for having vampire brothers he supposed.

His gaze settled on Fauna next. She looked even worse than he felt. Of course, with Morticia being her charge, he knew she was going to be upset at the thought of losing her, but her thoughts showed her true grief.  
She seemed to be reminiscing on when Morticia was born. ‘She was so tiny. Such a beautiful babe. How could I have let this happen to her?’  
In her mind he saw his love, swaddled in a crochet black baby blanket, her violet eyes gleaming as she gazed at the world around her. It made him wish they could have a babe more than anything. He could envision a baby girl with Morticia’s ebony black hair and his mother’s green eyes, or a boy who bore a striking resemblance to himself with Morticia’s striking eyes….

He knew he shouldn’t even entertain the idea. A vampire and a human could never procreate a child…but his love was not entirely human…. No! The idea was ridiculous.

With an inward sigh, he pulled away from Fauna’s thoughts and instead focused on the road in front of them. They chose to drive rather than run as if any humans were to see them- word could possibly get back to Aro in Italy. They most certainly did not need that extra stress added- so here they were.

Even going at Carlisle’s speed of over 100 miles above the speed limit, it still felt like an eternity. Every second felt like torture for him as he imagined what his love might be going through. 

He prayed to whatever god would listen to him, damned soul and all…please let his love survive this…..

\------TIME SKIP--------

As soon as they made it close to the warehouse, Carlisle ditched the car in an abandoned parking lot a little down the road. If anything was going to be reported, at least no one had car plates to recognize.

It only took Edward a few moments to realize the smell of his love’s blood permeating the air. It made his stomach churn…and by the heaviness of the scent, she had lost quite a bit.

‘Don’t panic yet, son. Let’s think rationally about this.’

Edward scoffed at his father’s capacity to remain calm at a time like this. 

“So….what is the plan?” Emmett asked as he and Jasper approached with the rest of the group.

Before Edward could formulate a response, Morticia’s earth-shattering scream broke through the air.

His eyes turned pitch black and he growled to the rest of his family, “run like hell and don’t stop me.”

Vaguely in the distance he heard Vladimir mutter, “I am going to rip Angelus apart.”

Rather than go in the front door like one would expect, Edward turned to his father and growled, “The roof, He won’t expect it. Plus it might give us time to get her away from him.”

His father gave him a nod and then proceeded to tell the others where to go. As soon as they crashed in the ceiling, the sight that greeted them made Edward want to purge his eyes. His darling Morticia was bloodied and bruised, being held grotesquely by an unknown man. Her blood littered the floor and covered various torture instruments littering the room.

A surge of anger he had never felt before swarmed Edward. He wasn’t even sure if Jasper could bring him back. He had read accounts of mates becoming injured and their partner becoming inconsolable or enraged…..you could definitely say he was the later of the two. Right now all he could envision was sinking his teeth into this “angelus” and draining him dry!

As much as he wanted to flash over and snap Angelus neck, Vladimir’s thoughts stopped him. 

‘Don’t try it boy. He’s got her in place as a shield and he’s wicked fast, if you make a move too quick he’ll kill her in a second. Let me try something before you get her killed.’

He could hear Vladimir try to give himself up for Morticia’s safety, but he knew this monster was not giving in. He didn’t even need to read his mind, nor did he want to…  
Perhaps they could all rush him at the same time, like a blitz attack?

He was trying to scan Alice’s thoughts, hoping for a vision but saw none.

The next few seconds went by in a flash but they will forever be etched into his memory like a curse.

His love bravely bit her captor and both he and his family moved forward to help but the bastard was too quick…..he snapped Morticia’s neck.

Edward was frozen in shock for a second before throwing himself at Angelus. The sound of her bones snapping replaying over and over inside his head. He was blinded by rage and soon the man beneath him was beginning to look like a bloody pulp. He didn’t realize but Edward had been hitting him so hard that his own hands had begun to crack under the pressure.

He could have killed the man right then and there but Vladimir put a hand on his shoulder to stall him.

“Enough boy. Don’t do this here, let me deal with him, please. Morticia wouldn't want you to become like is. Go tend to Morticia.”

Edward’s eyes filed with venom and his voice shook, “Tend to her? She’s dead?! This bastard killed her!!” As he said the words his anger ignited again and he glared at Angelus who had begun coughing up piles of blood.

As he was about to sink his teeth into Morticia’s murderer, Fauna’s voice stopped him.  
“Vladimir, you saw her bite him! Do you think she might?.....”

Edward turned to look at Fauna who was cradling his love’s head in her lap, tears streaming down her face.

As he looked around he saw that every member of his family had looks of horror and sadness on their faces as they tried to take in the scene before them. Carlisle attempted to look for a pulse but found none, Esme stood beside Alice and Jasper with her hand over her mouth in horror, Emmett had venom pooling in his eyes as he held onto Rose who looked just as angry as he was at the moment. Vladimir had a stricken look on his face and shook his head grimly. 

“I’m not sure if it will take, Fauna.” His voice was grave as he moved to grab Angelus from Edward’s grasp and threw chains around his wrist, leaving Edward to collapse on the ground in his grief.

“You’re not sure if what will take?” Carlisle asked, tearing his gaze away from Morticia’s corpse.

Vladimir sighed as he secured the other man’s shackles.  
“Fae blood has healing properties, but also with Morticia having me as her father, it complicates things. My kind of vampire can only be created by drinking the blood of another immortal and then dying, after death that person awakens but only after they have ingested human blood can they be truly immortal….” His voice was dull as if he himself were nothing more than a hollow shell.

“What are you saying?!” Edward rasped, looking up at Vladimir while still on his knees.

Vladimir took a few steps and then turned his gaze to where his daughter lay, a look of hope in his eyes mixed with worry.

“What I’m saying is….if Morticia wakes, she’s going to be in transition. Her vampire side will have taken over to protect her… if she wakes up, Morticia is going to be a vampire….”

“But what about her fae magik, Vlad? Can’t Athenodora’s protection work in this?” Fauna was all but begging as she stroked her charge’s hair.

Vladimir shook his head as he pinched the bridge of his nose, “I wish I knew Fauna. There has never been another vampire/fae hybrid. If she wakes, who knows what will happen. She may not even choose to complete the transition.”

Rosalie growled and ripped herself out of Emmett’s arms, “What do you mean ‘if she chooses to complete it’ I thought you said she’d wake up a vampire!”

“yes but as I said, she won’t know how this will impact her fae powers. That and she has to drink human blood to complete her transition….but we don’t even know if she will awake yet…” Vladimir stepped quietly over to Fauna and took his daughter into his arms. 

“If she doesn’t wake in 24 hours, she is at peace, but if she wakes…she will have the same amount of time to complete her transition or else….she dies, permanently this time.” Vladimir stroked Morticia’s hair as the others began to take in what he had just said.

‘dear god’, Carlisle  
‘holy shit, what the fuck’, Emmett  
‘that bastard. Forcing her into this’, Rosalie  
‘How could I not have seen this?’, Alice  
‘that poor girl…Edward will be beside himself,’ Esme

Jasper was trying his best to calm everyone but his own grief soon did him in. ‘Morticia didn’t deserve this, I’m sorry Edward..’

Edward sat broken on the floor as the rest of his family looked at him around the room.  
Either he was going to have his love forever…or she was truly dead…  
And if she did survive, could he convince her to transition? Could he ask that of her?

This was going to be the worst 24 hours of his ‘unlife’……

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woo hoo! chapter 20 to finish out 2020 and of course, I had to leave a cliffhanger!  
>  what do you guys think Morticia will do "if" she wakes??? Will she want to be with Edward for eternity? How will she feel about daddy vamp, Vladimir??
> 
> See you all in the new year :) and perhaps Morticia will as well.


End file.
